Great that your yesterday gave you what you wanted down in Cambridge. I couldn't help but notice that after all these years Grundig went down in Germany yesterday.

Amazingly the city report that I read made no mention of Tape Recorders, only dwelling on the market share in German Radios and TV's. In the 50's, certainly in Europe, Grundig was as synonymous with the reel-to-reel tape recorder, as Hoover was with the vacuum cleaner, although Telefunken was generally acknowledged as the inventor.

In the 50's, certainly in Europe, Grundig was as synonymous with the reel-to-reel tape recorder, as Hoover was with the vacuum cleaner.

I don't remember that ancient history, but in my days of playing with theatrical sound and lighting (early 80's) the object of desire was Revox A77. Grunding was kind of equipment likely to be bought by a gastarbeiter* when returning home, something like low-end (perhaps second hand) diesel Mercedes - robust, good value for money, but entirely un-cool.

*) literary 'guest worker' - migrant workers from (then) Yugoslavia, Turkey, Greece, Italy working in Germany; I knew lot of them.

literary 'guest worker' - migrant workers

So, like the Joads?

(obscure reference of the day)

The Grapes of Wrath isn't that obscure....

It is to most people. You'd be surprised.

So, like the Joads?

Well, not quite

I guess I've been asked to deal with Preacher Jim too many times.

the object of desire was Revox A77

Somewhere else on this BBS, you'll find a posting where I outline that my objects of desire are still the Citroen DS decapotable and the A or B77(the only advantage, to me, of the B is that it can be timer controlled), I'm only held up by:
a. I've no possible use for one.
b.Vintage audio has a big following, it would cost you more to get one now than in the 60's.

In the late 40's, when I first went to the science museum in London, the big attraction that caused most wonderment was hearing your own voice on the tape recorder - next to it was the door that opened when you walked towards it, similarly magical! - The world has changed!

Citroen DS decapotable

Yes!

(Nearest I came to owning one was an occasional ride in a friend's Citroën-Maseratti SM - the guy has three of them...)

I've got a mint-condition Studer A807 MkII in the cupboard under the stairs, I wanted to put it on show with the rest of my hifi but my g/f said she'd leave me if I did it....

For those who don't know what a studer is, here's one

My dad still has a revox kicking around somewhere. Still uses his nargra too, couldn't tell you what model it is though

You can't have a Revox kicking around, look for the prayer mat, the Revox will be right in front of it!

Studer's made by the same Swiss Genii, I believe, I also believe we have one of their engineers on this BBS - I expect you'll find Andy M sneaks off to the cupboard under the stairs to gaze at his, when boring people come around!

In reply to:

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I expect you'll find Andy M sneaks off to the cupboard under the stairs to gaze at his, when boring people come around!

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How did you know? I do let it out on occasions to play all the stuff I recorded in local radio. Got some rather sour looks from the g/f when she came back to find it on it's trolley in the middle of the living room with it's 10.5inch NAB spools whizzing away at 30IPS (suppose I'm the only one that finds it cool), but she was outnumbered as there 4 of us.

Which reminds me, I need to chase my mate at BBC Birmingham to see if he's still got that Sony PCM700 going spare. I've got about 20 Beta tapes of Sony F1 encoded recordings that I've been unable to listen to.

boxer, if you're after a b77 give any bbc local radio station a ring, they've started using computer playout and are chucking B77s away.

Also, I was driving through London on the A40 yesterday and saw a Citroen DS for sale for £3K

boxer, if you're after a b77 give any bbc local radio station a ring, they've started using computer playout and are chucking B77s away.

Boxer, wanna team up on this? I saw some A77s on eBay, condition questionable....hmmm, start calling BBC stations? Where to begin?

I don't know why, but you have given me the bug. I could want to have a Revox just to watch it rewind a big, blank tape. Serious Technostalgia!

Cool, just don't tell them I told you to! Also, be warned, these units will probably have 1000's of hours on them, so they neither look or possibly sound good without a little TLC first. I know they are getting rid of B77s and B67s for very little. I only got my 807 because the guy owed me a favour. I should have paid over a grand because it's almost factory-fresh.

There's a guy over your way, Andy, and one in East Anglia who specialise in repairing Revox's, I'm looking for the info in my study, but it's hardly a paperless revolution in here.

I'll start with my pal Henry Ayrton at Radio Humberside, but for a long time ex BBC Revox's have been turning up in Leeds at a spares shop in the railway arches - once they have been renovated immaculately they are 300 - 400 pounds.

But as I say, I'll have to think hard, as I have no use for one. We may not be paperless in here, but we are tapeless! (DAB>Dabbar>DirectCut>Empeg is the way the sound goes!)

That little shop under the arches isn't M&B Radio is it? If so, you should go to their warehouse near the M1 (i can give you directions if need be) you can pick them up before they get done up. Just mind the bird shit all over everything.

Boxer, wanna team up on this?

I'm displaying complete ignorance of the product here, but does a European Revox work in the US?

I won't go into detail on the teasmade that my parents sent to my sister's father in law in Chattanooga, that woke him in the middle of the night! 60 cycles not 50!

Readers of this thread will findthisandalso this interesting.

I had a quick google, but I couldn't find a US Revox repairer.

That little shop under the arches isn't M&B Radio is it?

Yes it is, I'll come back to you if I need directions.

NB The Citroen DS is only half the tale, it has to be the, very rare, decapotable(Convertible). Even then, one has to beware of imitations, some of which are either dangerous, or impossible to maintain. It must have provenance that shows it to have been built by the coachbuilder Charpontier.