Vintage Electra Tape Recorder 4 Transistor Early Japan Built Repair

early Japanese portable reel to reel tape recorder

[@carlburgess9635]

I'm an old guy, 70+. Back in the day people who didn't have much money and had an opportunely to go to collage, more than likely a junior collage might buy one of these units to record lectures. They didn't use them for music.... oh the good old days.... thanks for the videos. Carl

[@davepike6170]

I had a Realtone brand 3" RTR portable similar to that one, maybe slightly more deluxe, ever so slightly!😁 I have a Realtone now, like new, identical to the one I had as a kid in the late 1960s. As a kid, only ever had the one reel of tape, recording over and over on it...you can imagine the sound quality!😃 Back then it was the "cats meow" to me! I used to fill the tape with my favorite rock songs from my trusty GE AM transistor radio (which I still have, got radio new from Kmart in 1968), and I would play the tape with my songs on it, while we were out playing in the dirt with trucks, or playing tag, whatever!😊 The speed control was to help as the batteries were getting weaker, to compensate. Fun times!😊

[@k4vms]

That is the comedian Allen Sherman, from the 1960s. My mom and dad had his records. Ricky from IBM

[@galaxyflyer1]

Shango, I love your tv resurrection videos, but really dig it when you mess with different types of cool vintage electronics.

[@ik04]

One of my most prized possessions was a portable tape recorder very similar to that one. It was a Christmas treasure from around 1963 or so. I kept it until my teens and wore it out!

[@LakeNipissing]

Mr. Lange was very proud of his tape recorder, and looked after it well. "Handle with care"

[@MrUbiquitousTech]

He was afraid it might stop working. LOL.

[@outaspaceman]

Wow..! super clean interior.. Not what I've come to expect here..

[@mysticvirgo9318]

Gotta appreciate the cleverness in using the least materials possible for the drive mechanism :)

[@zman4150]

My father (whom passed in '95) was in the Navy and instead of writing letters while at sea, he would record his letter to Mom on Kodak tapes. One of his recordings mentioned he used a Star-Brite portable unit which looks just like this one. I've played some of the tapes on that player & his voice "almost" sounds like I remember. Very simple units especially on a government wage!

[@wacoflyer]

That would have been a Star Lite, which is the one I had.

[@alphabeets]

Remember that since there is no pinch roller/capstan, and the tape is driven by the edge of the reel, the tape speed is gradually and constantly changing as the reel fills with tape. So these tapes are hard to play back on modern gear that uses a constant speed drive.

[@randynelson2265]

I got one of these when I was a kid for Christmas back in 1962. I had a lot of fun with it. I am 69 years old now and I still have it,

[@semectual]

Its great to see a reel to a reel to reel recorder a second chance of life, recording modern things on to the tape while preserving the original recoring on it. Lastly, I love the end of the video where you aligned the cigarette commercial (looks to be from the 60's or 70's) and how it ended so perfect!

[@brownfranklin]

I bought one just like the one in your video from a 2nd hand store when I was 13, in 1982 for $5. The knobs on mine were a little different but other than that it was pretty much the same model. I played with it for a while and tore it apart after I got tired of it. The song on your tape was Al and Yetta by Alan Sherman from his album, "My Son The Celebrity."

[@danmackintosh6325]

I love it, the cheese is strong with this one! The cardboard anti-resonance padding gives it that audiophile touch too.

[@jimmyday9536]

These used DC bias to record, this enabled the head to operate in a linear part of it's magnetic curve, similar to biasing a tube or transistor.

[@arthureverett8220]

Customer complaint: tape fails to self destruct at end of play

[@garymckee8857]

Good morning Mr Phelps,the mission should you choose to accept it.

[@erikj.2066]

Instead it appears the player itself attempts to self destruct every time you use it.

[@ljshapo2969]

Haha. Pretty sure tape recording of a famed 1950s-60s performance comedian, Allan Sherman. Sold ton of vinyl records-died young.

[@rricci]

@@garymckee8857 No. This is the later version which didn'tmake in the series. It went something like "Good morening Mr. Phelps......yadda yadda yadda......Should you refuse to take on the mission, what happens to the tape at the end of playback, will happen to your IM Force and your life. Good luck, Jim".

[@jlucasound]

If you or any of your IM force is caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your existence in the movie "Airplane". Beware of the Fish and the Copilot. No, not Abdul. The "inflatable one". Don't talk to the little boy. This Plane will self destruct in 5 seconds. Good Luck, Jim.

[@TheEPROM9]

You got to love how janky it is. I miss made in Japan, they were the best by the end. You look at the history & they progressed really quickly & the inventiveness of the engineers working with praticly no resorses is just amazing.

[@rfburns5601]

These things used DC bias instead ultrasonic ac bias. Enough DC bias to lift the audio halfway up the B-H curve in the north or south direction. AC bias lifts the audio to the middle of the B-H curve in northerly and southerly directions and you get twice as much output from the tape. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_hysteresis Supposedly AC bias was accidentally discovered by an engineer at AEG Telefunken who was working on a recording amplifier. He disconnected a decoupling capacitor in the amp, and it began ultrasonic oscillation, and the the playback quality improved tremendously.

[@Stoney3K]

And to complete the set, Dolby HX Pro made the bias dynamic by side-chaining the bias level to the amount of high-frequency in the audio signal, letting the high frequencies cause a certain amount of self-biasing. Mostly done on cassettes, it offered a bunch more headroom on recording.

[@rfburns5601]

@@Stoney3K Yes program audio and bias does tend to be self erasing; more so at higher frequencies and lower tape speeds. At speeds of 15 & 30 inches per second full output at 0 VU can be obtained across the audio spectrum. When you drop to 7-1/2 & 3-3/4, frequency response is checked at 10 db below standard. For cassette (1-7/8), frequency response is taken at 20 db below standard. In an effort to overcome these effects, Akai came up with the "cross-field" head. It was a bias head facing the backside of the tape, without any bias applied to the recording head. They claimed it delivered 22 kc frequency response @ 7-1/2 ips.

[@neil6958]

I still think this is a fascinating Japanese product.

[@juanvarleta2558]

Love it. My first ever electronic purchase when I was a kid, from Woolworth’s. Also love the smell of Japanese electronic gear when it was new just out of the packing.

[@benwinter2420]

I remember buying guns from the Kmart gun counter here in OZ NT as a kid . . walking home with an cardboard box encased rifle over my shoulder .

[@charlesmoore3321]

Sears Transtalk walkie talkies in styrofoam and cardboard outer jacketing. I remember the smell too.

[@johnchildress6717]

I had the Sears transtalk 600 ones.1967.that little electra is from 68 or close.

[@vidguy007]

@@benwinter2420 that was before the gun culture ruined it by making guns toys everyone can have

[@ZenithClarity]

These were basically a kids toy and were not meant for music recording. This is the kind of thing parents would get their boy for Christmas and he would hide it in his older sisters room to record her and her friends until he gets caught and older sister decides to "DISABLE" it. It simplicity at its best and still going after 55 years. I bet you wont be able to say that about anything purchased today in 55 years.

[@billharris6886]

I received a similar model recorder, which had the Ross name on it as a Christmas present when I was a kid (9 or 10) in 1964 or 1965. I was used to using my Dad's RCA reel to reel from 1956 so, was quite disappointed by the sound quality on this little recorder. These entry level tape recorders were quite popular but, they also set new standards for crudeness, rim drive (which causes the tape speed to vary depending upon how much tape was on the take-up reel), no AC record bias, no record level indicator, high distortion crystal microphone (but, it really didn't matter since there was no AC bias), and all the wow and flutter you could ever want. The recorder I had, could vary the tape speed from about 2 to 4 IPS in the middle of the tape. I tried everything to get a decent recording and finally gave up. The only way I could get good sound, was to record something on my Dad's recorder, then play it back on this little recorder which, of course was cheating but, it accomplished what I wanted.

[@Discretesignals]

It sounds like an ice cream truck patrolling the neighborhood.

[@tomfranco4866]

Lol

[@christopherecatalano]

Ah ha ha ha, it totally does not, but that is excellent nonetheless!

[@wacoflyer]

I bought on of these back in '64. Total crap by today's standards, but my friends and I had a ball with it! I even recorded the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show off our Zenith roundie color tv!

[@pinballwizard4085]

I made an audio recording of the first man landing on the Moon in 1969 with one of these and still have it.

[@chalmerbasham695]

Moon landing? Ya don’t say.

[@chuffpup]

Wow. What a world. That moon landing was a blast. I watched it at my school in NZ.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

You should post the audio to KZbin!

[@jimlocke9320]

I saw a similar recorder in a store for about $10.00 in the early 1960s. I listened to music on "top 40" AM radio stations. We, as teenagers, were stuck with waiting for the DJs to play our favorite songs. We could buy 45 rpm records with one favorite song on each, but, at about $1.00 each in 1960s money, they were expensive and, after we'd heard the song a few times, we'd grow tired of it. I was a knob twiddler and would scan the AM radio dial for my favorite sons at night, when distant radio stations could be received. However, I might only catch the tail part of each song. We relished the idea of being able to record complete songs off the radio and play them back at will. My Dad recognized that buying one of these machines would just be throwing away money. For Christmas, he bought the family a stereo reel to reel recorder, (with capstan drive, AC erase head and AC bias, and handling 7 inch reels of tape) but I was the one that got the most use out of it. I still have most of my tapes, which I played back into a computer and converted to mp3 format. At the time, I just recorded the songs and not the DJ. Now that most of the songs are available on youtube, I don't need the song recordings. I am sorry that I don't have vintage recordings of the DJs!

[@bijufrancis4284]

Thumps up. Absolute beauty to see this vintage techs. Get going shangoo. All the support...

[@force311999]

love the erase head how many tapes have got erased when you rewind and forgot to take it out of record mode

[@w7777777s]

force311999 Believe it or not, there is an electrical interlock. When in the record position, it won’t rewind.

[@MrUbiquitousTech]

I've never seen a reel to reel set up like this. Usually you have to hold record down while you engage play so when you stop the machine the record automatically resets itself so there's no possibly of accidentally recording/erasing the next time you use the machine.

[@MrUbiquitousTech]

@@w7777777s Makes sense they'd have some kind of protection.

[@chillidogkev]

I had to see this machine to believe it existed. As usual an enjoyable, deadpan and witty video from one of my favourite KZbin feeds.

[@jlucasound]

Yes. The C cells are in parallel. 1.5 volts (double mAh capacity) for the motor drive , 9V for the electronics. All mechanical actuation is manual, through the knobs. Those batteries must have been installed recently as that battery compartment would have been a mess. That has to be from the mid/late 1960's.

[@JerryEricsson]

From my experience, I would say that this one comes in at around 1965 or so. Earlier ones were a bit bigger, later ones were a bit better in the playback. In 67 I got my first one with a capstan that would do music.

[@perrymckinney6146]

Had one very much like this, it had a brand name “commodore” on it. After I got a good cassette recorder when I was 13, I tore this all apart.

[@markmarkofkane8167]

I have about 20 portable reel to reel tape recorders I bought from eBay. Some work, some do not. Nice unit you have there.

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

Reminds me of the old Mission Impossible TV show - "this tape will self-destruct in..."

[@AverageJoe2020]

Thank you from most if not all of us for making these videos for our education and entertainment, Much fun. Best regards, S,

[@vwestlife]

Those Sunbeam C batteries are probably just AA batteries in a larger casing. The really cheap dollar store batteries often do that to cut production costs.

[@craigtegeler4677]

My Father had a Channel Master reel to reel, same dimensions, same locking latch mechanism, tan color over white, fewer controls, no variable speed control, same lapel mic, etc and was most likely made by Sanyo!!! You are absolutely right about the quality issues with that one!!! His was bought in about 1969-1970 for the purpose of conducting meetings since he was a treasurer to a local liquor dealers association. He liked Channel Master products quite well. I myself, have collected Channel Master radios for at least 50 years now! Electra on the other hand, was in deed very crappy knock-offs that just didn't cut it and perhaps may have been bought up by Channel Master or at least ended up putting them in the ground, like planting Petunia's!!! Anyways, his Channel Master reel to reel didn't have any wheres near the problems of this Electra has! The only real means of restoration for this one is to gut it and start over by replacing the tape head and amplifier for starters, The inside of the motor may have a capacitor that could be replaced but I doubt it and perhaps an electrolytic could be applied to the motor terminals to help stabilize the speed. For the most part though, she is junk!!! From about 1973 on up, Japan had really stepped up their game and thus, I am a collector of Japanese Built Stereo Receivers. They did hold up quite well over the years.

[@mikeb1013]

Never seen a magnet used instead of an erase head. Priceless! I bet it degrades the recording with every playback as it is still so near the tape. Looks cool though.

[@Seiskid]

Definitely a keeper. Very enjoyable commentary.

[@connorm955]

I love old tape recordings

[@pafoofnic]

Had a rim drive reel to reel almost identical Lloyds brand no speed adjust same magnet erase when I was a wee lad. I remember recording Summer in the city from my AM pocket radio same lapel microphone. I think it cost around $10.00 from Walgreens... Mr. Phelps missed this one....

[@Radiowild]

Alan Sherman! He's a hoot! Remember "Camp Granada"?

[@wecontrolthevideo]

I didn’t recognize the song but I thought it was Allan Sherman, too.

[@mjg263]

With a rim drive recorder there is no universal speed regulation, as one reel empties and the other one fills the speed changes with the ratio. That's why capstan drive recorders cost more and why you can't play tapes made on a capstan drive recorder on one of these at the right speed.

[@kimwalton8495]

I have my dad's, I would love to play his tapes

[@stacyholt6529]

The only way to make this video better, would be to combine this and your nemesis, the Magnavox Micromatic. You'd have us rolling in the aisles! Great content/entertainment value sir.

[@Antony_Jenner]

Listening for music! Couldn't find a close match! HILARIOUS!!!

[@craignehring]

Good lord... I had friends that had these, were no end of issues with them. I waited until the Craig Panorama came out. Now that was a decent "real tape recorder" I believe it actually had a line in and a speed changing capstan via removing the 3 3/4 you would have 1 7/8 In thought I was king of the hill with that Craig model 212 It was fairly "HiFi" Thanks shango066, what a blast to trip down this avenue.

[@fordmavericksosx3569]

Nice! The Craig 212 was a really well built unit. Plus it was featured on Mission Impossible!

[@JerryEricsson]

When I was a young lad, we moved from the farm into town, dad took a job pumping gas at a cut rate gas station, mom, who was a wonderful cook (aren't all mom's great cooks?) took a job at a small cafe on main street. One afternoon I was on my way home from school and stopped by the cafe to see mom. She got me a soup bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, and the owner happened to come out from the back. He began a good natured conversation with me and discovered I like gizmo's. He went in the back and came out with one of those little reel to reel recorders. It was about that size, however it did have capstan control and managed a good job playing music. Well he gave me the thing, it had a couple of tubes in it, so had to warm up a few seconds before it would play or record. The things he and his wife had recorded on it were enough to make a sailor blush, it was an education in to drunk horny old people! Well I played around with that recorder for a long time, taking it apart to see what made it work and trying to get it back together, that sort of thing. It was the first of perhaps a dozen of that type of recorders I purchased or traded for over the next few years, finally coming up with a fairly good one that could record and replay music very well, almost as good as the first one, I never realized what I had with that first one, man the case on it was solid steel and the components were first class. Wish I had kept that one, the cafe guy must have spent nearly a hundred 1963 bucks on it when he first purchased it. None of my self purchased or traded machines could equal the qality of that first one. My last was more of a suitcase recorder, it was nearly the size of a brief case and had multi-speed capstan control with two speed control devices you could pull one off and put the larger one on to get longer recording, or higher quality with the smaller one. There was a post in between the reels to keep one or the other when not in use. I loved that machine. The previous owner, a drinking buddy of mine had recorded "Winchester Cathedral" on the tape, that part of the tape was NEVER recorded over while the machine worked. Eventually I tired of it, tore it apart and used the amplifier to make a portable PA system so I could talk into the microphone and amplify my voice perhaps 20 times or so. It was cool for a few days then it went to the trash. Ah well it is all fun and games till someone looses an eye!

[@duanethamm4688]

My Aiwa brand reel to reel tape recorder that my parent's bought me in about 1970 was similar to this with a permanent erase magnet. When in record mode rewind would not operate...the power was shut off from the rewind motor. Had to flip the switch back to play mode for rewind to work. Now that's deluxe and smart!

[@tkempke]

I worked for Olson Electronics (a Radio Shack competitor) and we sold a machine very similar to this in 1964-65. If I remember correctly, they were about $30 which was about a third of the early Ampex cassette machines. Since they didn’t use a capstan, the speed was constantly changing and what you’re hearing was about as good as they got. They didn’t last long once the price on the cassette machines began to come down. Brings back memories though.

[@mjg263]

That one is made by AIWA, it's called a rim-drive recorder. AIWA made a zillion of them from the early 60's until about '69 and sold them under hundreds of different unknown brand names. They were kids toys sold at Woolworths and drug stores and the like.

[@dougbrowning82]

These were made in the early 1960s to spec by Aiwa, and sold under numerous brands. Some models, like this, had a single motor to drive both spindles, and some had separate motors. I used to have a dual motor, Selfix model that someone ripped the amplifier out of. I put in a replacement amp from Radio Shack and got it playing, but could never get it to record.

[@Xplasma1]

18:00 I started laughing. Excellent wow and flutter! Also liked the bit where even Google had no idea what it was playing.

[@Stoney3K]

I'm surprised about the pristine condition of this thing, even with worn caps, there's not a single speck of filth on that entire recorder.

[@federicoramirez7369]

17:55 "I'm ready to cut a new album here" LOL about that

[@chatrkat]

Great memories! I had the economy version of that machine when I was very young, some 50+ years ago. No chrome and no speed control, the rest was the same. Fun seeing one of those again.

[@BetamaxFlippy]

Madman you actually put it in sync

[@butcharmstrong9645]

Immediately after watching this video I did some investigating and found a 4 transistor reel to reel tape recorder that was very similar to this one. the controls were all the same, speaker placement same, etc. it was named Apolec. same incredible quality too. the motor was so weak it couldn't even turn the tape reel with the tape on it. it had to be taken off the player and then it would work Yup, same incredible quality as your Electra

[@tough213]

well I can tell you how you lined that up you have good timing and you are very good at editing so wwith that you can do it all fix tv's and stereos and consoles and components and radios and amps and anything you want to fix you can and do a great job all the best happy and healthy holidays and merry christmas

[@charlesstauffer6806]

Very clever tape recorder.

[@a587g]

I have a slightly different version which I found at my grandmother's house after she died. Apparently was my uncles when he was a kid around 1965, knowing my grandmother it was probably from Woolworth where she worked. Tried it once and it sounded... About as good as this one. I guess they were mainly meant for kids to play with... But as you saw you can have some fun with something as cheap as this! Mine just used C batteries, and no 9v. I'll have to look for it and see how it compares otherwise.

[@RuneTheFirst]

You think 4 transistors was too few? The Nipco recorder only used 3! Despite that it worked really well. It was a VERY successful seller too. Beside Nipco (the actual maker, who also made some decent transistor radios) it was sold under a dozen other names including a semi-classic name: Omscolite. Shock of shocks, it actually sounded pretty good, partly because it used a full-track head to get the most onto and off of the tape. One-side tape recording only. No flip and use the other side. These turn up today and with re-capping they return to full service. The rubber used on the reel tables is (usually) still in wonderful shape and the drive works as intended. Recording "bias" on these designs is DC supplied through a resistor coming off the 9-volt supply. There were even some made with capstan drive. Crown made some very good ones with 3.75 and 1.875 speeds and JVC actually made THE worst with 7.5 and 3.75 speeds and sold under the Mayfair brand through Montgomery Wards. DC bias survived on low-end gear right through the 80s in cassette portables. These early low-end ones all seemed to use one of 2 crystal microphones and very few have survived in working condition. They used a Rochelle salt element like most of the crystal phono cartridges and unless perfectly sealed they died early. The salt was hydrophilic and drew moisture out of the air. Later designs used dynamic mics. Electra was a pretty major importer in the 60s and even survived through most of the 70s, Japanese stuff got too expensive for them and they switched to Hong Kong for their crap.

[@michaelturner4457]

It's DC bias for recording, and permanent magnet for erase. Exactly the same thing is still used today in cheapo cassette recorders.

[@dmj-ju9zx]

It would be interesting to see what the "ceiling" is on rim drive using all of the best available modern components....including a speed control system that slowed down the takeup reel as it filled, to maintain a constant tape speed.

[@scharkalvin]

Four transistors are enough. One high gain stage that is used as both a microphone preamp, and a tape head preamp , plus the usual three transistor class B output stage, which also drives the tape head on record. No AC bias oscillator is used, either a fixed DC current is passed through the tape head on record, or a PM magnet is used (which also erases the tape). Cheap, Lowfi, but it works.

[@wireworks616]

Had one exactly like yours back in the 60s

[@JerryEricsson]

I went through nearly a dozen of those in my youth.

[@tarstarkusz]

Putting aside the clumsiness of the machine, it appears to me to be built OK, especially compared to modern cheap electronics.

[@radiotvphononut]

I predict that Mumble Rap artists will now start using these machines to master their albums.

[@vidguy007]

I’d say 1962 (I was 9) because that’s when I had mine, also kept in its foam packaging. It was a demo from “Bay electronics” and had “Made in Japan by American servicemen on leave” recorded on it. I recorded a lot off an AM 6 transistor radio. Considering what else was available, it was pretty high tech in it’s day, mine maybe of better quality

[@billmyke746]

Allan Sherman! Content identification complete, deploying jackbooted censorbots...

[@davek12]

Al & Yetta's Television Set.

[@KameraShy]

Yes! Allan Sherman. I recognized him right off. Nobody remembers him any more. You must be old too.

[@KameraShy]

@@davek12 Al 'N Yetta from My Son, The Celebrity, 1963. Great rendition here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4rQf5h9eqdgnNk

[@matthewrichards88]

@@KameraShy an appropriate song for Shango!!

[@davepike6170]

@@KameraShy yes, I thought it was Allen Sherman! I am old enough to remember too!😂

[@millercroger]

I had one of these new in about 1963. Purchased from a jewelry store in Ky.

[@bluepen61]

I remember having one like this when I was a kid. Talk about high tech for me! Virginia, we've come a long way baby!

[@KAFKUBA]

I have to find the reel to reel I had as a kid

[@alanmaier]

WOW that brings back memories. I had forgotten that I had a 3" RTR back in the day as a kid. That was before cassette, even when cassette came out it was expensive at first. Rim drive, no capstan for speed control, but you could tape and play back. How did us boomers survive in that era?

[@P51ride]

That recorder looks like it is hub driven instead of capstan driven. The tape speed changes as the tape fills up the take up reel instead of a constant inches per second.

[@NigelDixon1952]

It's a crystal mic, all the cheaper ones were back then. They didn't sound great but served the purpose, and had quite a high output.

[@gerryroberts662]

I love your video,.

[@chetpomeroy1399]

I remember those old "Virginia Slims" cigarette commercials back in the early-70's.

[@Musicradio77Network]

They also used it at the end of the LP called “The Miracle Mets” in 1969 where they used the Virginia Slims jingle.

[@TechneMoira]

I think we should invent a new certification test: Will it Shango? 100%

[@theannoyedmrfloyd3998]

Cut! Print! FABULOUS!

[@HD7100]

From watching this I had to take a look at my Akai TP-61R that I got as a Christmas present when I was a kid. It takes 2" reels and like your recorder it has reel drive with no capstan. It takes four AA batteries. My recorder does have an erase head and I think a few more transistors. BTW the reels on your tape recorder are for 8mm film.

[@doctorwacky5680]

That battery configuration was quite common. I am going to date that thing about 1965, or 66 somewhere in there.

[@luisreyes1963]

"Good Morning, Mister Phelps..." 🎚️

[@tsevetgestoorde]

Wow looks nice.

[@OverUnity7734]

Man, that thing is beautiful, for what it is.

[@JohnSmith-eo5sp]

Cheap consumer items from Japan of the 1960's, today we have Communist China creating this cheap low quality junk

[@drfalcon4102]

Time for a good head cleaning with rubbing alcohol, also, inthe instructions it was clearly stated that these units wer NOT for recording music

[@briangoldberg4439]

I would guess those were targeted at dictation and wouldn't need to be music-level good. Also, the rubber rings driving the motor look tiny and perished; wow and flutter would most likely be restored to a dictation-level of acceptability if you put a couple of new, thick buna rubber grommets on it.

[@nor4277]

I had to have mine ,I did testing one two three,and that's was all I ever did with it then I got from someone a majic eye tube bigger tape recorder ,that one speed control was off ,got rid of that one two ,then I bought a Sony 255 and Used to copy my albums on to it for long play music ,then my Sony 255 died and I got my money back,the end.

[@w7777777s]

Yep, you just aren’t quite old enough. Cheap cassettes killed off cheap reel to reels. Mine was branded Windsor. It came from Thrifty Drugstore for my 8th birthday in 1962. It was the same mechanism as yours. (many were) My friend next door had a slightly different one branded Honey Tone. Almost all the early transistor radio brands had something similar in the same era when the 6 transistor AM radio was at it’s peak. My friend and I (who were into Alan Sherman BTW) recorded elaborate “tape stories” as we called them doing improv. narration, voices and sound effects. We recorded the TV sound, we recorded records off our little record players and songs off the radio. When new, they were a bit better than yours, but not much. It cost about an extra $20 to get one with a capstan and actual AC bias. I also learned how to solder very early because my dad got sick of fixing the microphone and earphone wires which broke a lot. I first saw the inside of a machine like this by the time I was 9 or 10. Actually it had been apart and back together many times by then. Thanks for the memories. Oh yeah, I have a collection of these sorts of small battery reel to reel recorders. Maybe I need to do a video.

[@MiamiMillionaire]

A interesting old pice of Electronic 📼👍

[@jpolar394]

Alouette is a French song about killing a bird. It sure beats Mrs Miller trying to sing yellow submarine.

[@pcallas66]

It's probably DC biased. Cool video. I love this stuff. Thank you for sharing.

[@ShadowsOnTheScreen]

Those sure look like 8mm film reels from fotomat. Tape reels are usually clear.

[@MrChief101]

Long live Alan Sherman!!! Right off the TV!

[@gregorymalchuk272]

Is that who the original recording was?

[@MrChief101]

@@gregorymalchuk272 Yessir. A funny song writer from the mid-60s I think. That's when I'm from, so most likely. "Hello Mudder Hell Fodder" "On Top of Spaghetti" and the like! The good old days.

[@MichaelBeeny]

These were available in many versions. In the UK a company called Headquarters and General Supplies sold them for just under 5 pounds. Mass advertising with full page newspapers. Needless to say, as a kid I just had to have one. On opening the box a great electronics smell came out, ummm love that smell. Mine had the same crystal mic but a elliptical speaker. My Dad recorded some of my favourite songs on his (proper) tape recorder. As it started to play, I must admit, the sound was OK but as the tape advanced the speed increased, making recordings on a proper tape recorder useless. No capstan! Speed consistency was the greatest issue, every time you played it the speed would be different. Mine did not have a speed control. The speed was 100% dependent on battery voltage, those C cells did not last long. Keeping the rubber clean was also a major factor in speed stability. After only a few weeks the motor in my unit failed. That was the end of that. The bias was just DC!!

[@jasonthewiczman5442]

Well cared for it's very clean like it

[@Amp497]

New quarter inch tape is available, and there is a lot of NOS tape available. Maybe you should put some of your cassette and miniature reel-to-reels up for sale on eBay, and I would be glad to buy one, or two, or three. I did many many repairs on all sorts of tape decks when I was in college 79 to 83. I was very good with mechanisms. If you have one with a broken mechanism, you can send it 2 me, and I will return it repaired and lubed. I even get into the motors 2 Revitalize the motors and repair the speed regulator, if installed.

[@robinsattahip2376]

Hey, I've seen those on TV, they self-destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck Jim. (Mission Impossible)

[@skuula]

Tapes have hysteresis ... that's why a bias tone is normally required (the distortion from not having bias seems to be ignored here), and that's why the magnet doesn't hurt the tape when swung back.

[@jacktheripper6716]

Very nice find its definitely low hour almost the owner got to record that one event on the tape.

[@stphinkle]

Wonder if the speed control pot is open or needs to be cleaned or perhaps there is another component bad. The distortion you are hearing could also indicate the tape is going at the wrong speed or perhaps there is a belt that is slipping or the speed control pot is bad

[@nathanmoak1515]

i had an aiwa that was stereo back in the 60s! it had two mics and two detachable speakers. it was a little smaller than that one and used flashlight batteries. the thing had rim drive and the wow and flutter was off the scale. i played with it for a while, but it was really crappy sounding.