I've worked on lots of these types of late 50's / early 60's recorders. They are generally well-built. The mechanism will require partial disassembly, degreasing, and lubrication. The center pin under the pickup and supply reels usually gets stuck due to old grease. The various buttons raise and lower the reel platters. The clutch rubber is in fact cork. A sheet of cork can be bought and cut to fit the holes. It's a bit difficult getting the right height though. But once correct the machine will be able to fast forward and rewind with ease. I find that only the mains electrolytics need replacement. Replacement belts can also be made by most belting places. The motor will also need dissasembly and cleaning. These recorders perform really well for their age once repaired.
You said ‘they’re built like tanks,’ and that could be literal, as through the 50s some companies doing audio equipment were still using surplus components from the end of WW2. So the components were sometimes built way over minimum spec, because they were considered mission critical, going into planes, tanks etc. No idea if this was the case with Philips, however. Holy wow, when you got it open, what a crazy robot. 👀
I really enjoy watching the resurrection of old tape machines. I have a pocket wire recorder from the 1950s, made in Germany, with subminiature tubes. I'll have to get into it someday.
There is a 4 quarter track version of this tape recorder which is a Philips EL3542. I have a clone version which is called the Stellaphone ST455. The mechanism is the same as yours which I had to dismantle, clean & re-grease to make mine to play properly. The main drive belt has stretched and the tape counter belt has turned to goo, both had to be replaced. Also I had to fix the clutch mechanism on both the reel hubs as it is no longer gripping them. Now the machine plays well and pleased with the results.
There is a socket marked Stereo for playing back stereo pre-recorded tapes. The instructions states that a suitable pre-amp must be used and the tape track selector set to 1-4 position.
while watching, I came up with an idea...If I had those 2, I would keep the amplifiers, making a stereo one in that box with these itubes as vu meters as you already mention.Very nice though that one of them is fixed and worked as original.. Nice job as salways Dave
Don't know what i will do with them as i really don't have any use. Probably sell them as a set to a collector as i certainly have enough crap here that people give me.
I've got an old Grundig TK14L. Hardly had to do anything to get it running correctly. It has the eye tube for the recording level which is neat to see.
My parents had a tube tape recorder possibly before I was born. In later years it sat up in the closet. They gave it to me because it didn't have sound. I couldn't fix it. I was too young anyway. It did not have keys. It had a twist control for play, stop and rewind. Not sure about record. I regret not saving the tapes. It was a tube set. No idea of brand. I find reel tape recorders fascinating. I bought several small ones of of eBay. I also have a Realistic I fixed. But it's broken again . (motor seized up again)
I like to run my electric guitar through one of these as a type of effect. muddy fuzz. kinda ends up sounding like a proper big muff but through tubes.
These sorts of players are a dime a dozen here in Australia and are pretty well worthless. Most the time they are in the condition like the first one you showed. Even still, the Philips tape recorders were not great machines in my experience. Part wise, look how 'busy' they were compared to other players of the day. In the early days here, the main units were Philips, National and Sony, and Sony being the best of the them, even the earlier ones. One thing these early Philips machines have going for them when you do find them, you can pay 10 or 20 bucks, and your likely to pick up a set of vintage tubes that are now worth more the player itself! Those that are creative, even turn these little ol guys into guitar amplifiers, which at least saves them from the scrap heap at this point in time. Thanks for the video. :)
That old vintage unit was made by Timex L.O.L🤭 Nah just kidding - But! I'll say this - It's older than me by 9 years - Hmmmm I wonder if I'll last that long 🤣😂🤭
Actually there are 12 provinces that collectively and known as Holland. No different that Canada, with 10 provinces and 3 territories. Collectively referred to as Canada.
Наука
I've worked on lots of these types of late 50's / early 60's recorders. They are generally well-built. The mechanism will require partial disassembly, degreasing, and lubrication. The center pin under the pickup and supply reels usually gets stuck due to old grease. The various buttons raise and lower the reel platters. The clutch rubber is in fact cork. A sheet of cork can be bought and cut to fit the holes. It's a bit difficult getting the right height though. But once correct the machine will be able to fast forward and rewind with ease. I find that only the mains electrolytics need replacement. Replacement belts can also be made by most belting places. The motor will also need dissasembly and cleaning. These recorders perform really well for their age once repaired.
Can you recommend a belt making company? Please advise.
63 years old same as me
for antiques lovers like me, this device works and is very nice to see, always with interesting devices to repair.
This model was made in 1957/58, as a very young tech I can remember servicing a few of them, back then you could replace the worn parts
Great! I love these old tube players.
Hi!
/55 shows the region produced for, we called slash version back in the days when I worked for Philips.
Regards Mark
You said ‘they’re built like tanks,’ and that could be literal, as through the 50s some companies doing audio equipment were still using surplus components from the end of WW2. So the components were sometimes built way over minimum spec, because they were considered mission critical, going into planes, tanks etc. No idea if this was the case with Philips, however.
Holy wow, when you got it open, what a crazy robot. 👀
Amazing engineering on these old machines.
I really enjoy watching the resurrection of old tape machines. I have a pocket wire recorder from the 1950s, made in Germany, with subminiature tubes. I'll have to get into it someday.
I have a phililps voice records
There is a 4 quarter track version of this tape recorder which is a Philips EL3542.
I have a clone version which is called the Stellaphone ST455.
The mechanism is the same as yours which I had to dismantle, clean & re-grease to make mine to play properly.
The main drive belt has stretched and the tape counter belt has turned to goo, both had to be replaced.
Also I had to fix the clutch mechanism on both the reel hubs as it is no longer gripping them.
Now the machine plays well and pleased with the results.
Too bad it wasn't stereo.
There is a socket marked Stereo for playing back stereo pre-recorded tapes. The instructions states that a suitable pre-amp must be used and the tape track selector set to 1-4 position.
That is so cool.
while watching, I came up with an idea...If I had those 2, I would keep the amplifiers, making a stereo one in that box with these itubes as vu meters as you already mention.Very nice though that one of them is fixed and worked as original.. Nice job as salways Dave
Don't know what i will do with them as i really don't have any use. Probably sell them as a set to a collector as i certainly have enough crap here that people give me.
I've got an old Grundig TK14L. Hardly had to do anything to get it running correctly. It has the eye tube for the recording level which is neat to see.
Solid machine. Just think, the integrated circuit chip was to be invented the very next year.
My parents had a tube tape recorder possibly before I was born. In later years it sat up in the closet. They gave it to me because it didn't have sound. I couldn't fix it. I was too young anyway. It did not have keys. It had a twist control for play, stop and rewind. Not sure about record.
I regret not saving the tapes. It was a tube set. No idea of brand.
I find reel tape recorders fascinating. I bought several small ones of of eBay.
I also have a Realistic I fixed. But it's broken again . (motor seized up again)
In the old tape you made the recording there were old Greek popular songs. Now they are gone.
Grundig made decks very similar to that. some were stereo
I like to run my electric guitar through one of these as a type of effect. muddy fuzz. kinda ends up sounding like a proper big muff but through tubes.
1950 wasn't born, before my time
I was born in 1955 and can remember servicing a few of them in the early 70s built like a tank but the performance was not great.
These sorts of players are a dime a dozen here in Australia and are pretty well worthless.
Most the time they are in the condition like the first one you showed.
Even still, the Philips tape recorders were not great machines in my experience.
Part wise, look how 'busy' they were compared to other players of the day.
In the early days here, the main units were Philips, National and Sony, and Sony being the best of the them,
even the earlier ones.
One thing these early Philips machines have going for them when you do find them, you can pay 10 or 20 bucks,
and your likely to pick up a set of vintage tubes that are now worth more the player itself!
Those that are creative, even turn these little ol guys into guitar amplifiers, which at least saves them
from the scrap heap at this point in time.
Thanks for the video. :)
@16:45 that was completely bonkers
16:51 the music here is like Greek music
Well it came from a Greek so I would imagine that is what it was.
@@12voltvids haha i'm greek and i live in greece, when i realized it's greek
That old vintage unit was made by Timex L.O.L🤭 Nah just kidding - But! I'll say this - It's older than me by 9 years - Hmmmm I wonder if I'll last that long 🤣😂🤭
the thumbnail picture looks like a robot face
The netherlands not holland Holland are 2 provinces north and south holland 😡😡😡 We don't say texas to the united states of america 😡😡😡
Actually there are 12 provinces that collectively and known as Holland. No different that Canada, with 10 provinces and 3 territories. Collectively referred to as Canada.
@@EuroScot2023 never the less the plate on the bottom says made in Holland and that is what i said.
No need to get angry lol. Yes it's the Netherlands but we can blame the media and even these companies for using "Holland".
Texas is a separate country from the United States, just for your information.
@@Amp497 that's like saying Quebec is a seperate country from Canada. They might feel destinct but in the end they are still ruled by the PMO.
I believe that unit was from 1959 as it seemingly was labeled with code on the transformer