Sourcing Tape heads

[greenhorn]

I'm worried that at the rate I'm using it, sony tape deck's head (TC-U2) would be worn out soon, and wanted to stockpile some sony heads to last me for a while.
Any idea where i can get them? pointers to any shops in ritchie would be appreciated. It needs a PP 181-3602 head. Is there any scope of upgrading the head?

 

[reubensm]

Sony heads aren't that hard to find, the only challenge is that you should be able to identify a fake from the real deal. From my experience, Sony heads are quite durable (not as durable as Akai's glass heads, though) and last for a lot of years. The Sony head on my dad's cassette deck from the mid 1970s lasted till around the mid-1990s, giving 2 accurate channels and many hours of listening pleasure, under relatively high usage conditions.