Grundig reel to reel

[donnamevans]

I remember my dad playing his Grundig reel to reel player to me when I was little. I always remembered the smell of the tapes too as the player used to get very hot. As it ran on valves, it broke down a lot, but the sound was very good. For his birthday, I'd love to buy him some replacement valves for his player, so he can get all nostalgic again. Any idea where I might be able to find them in the uk?

[ClaudineJones]

Re: Grundig reel to reel

You can get them on ebay donna, or Google reel to reel repairs for places like this Vintage recorders (Vintage Reel to reel tape recorder collection, Sales, duplication and repairs )

[FLYING SAUCER]

Re: Grundig reel to reel

I used to own a Grundig TK5 reel to reel (among others) when I was 13 - my friend was into radios and stuff! As I remember Grundig was a very solid made machine, but unfortunately ours set fire nearly when one of the transformers broke down. I think you can get replacement valves from Mullard - as i remember rightly, there was a blue/green valve that operated as a sound level? Radio Fairs may be a good source of info? Think they have one at Doncaster (England)

Good Luck!

[Trickyvee]

Re: Grundig reel to reel

My dad had (and still has) one of these. I think it was Grundig...not sure. He let me loose on it when I was very small to get recordings of me in my prime lol. It had a little light with two green bits that came together when you made a sound. I used to yell to get the two green bits to meet in the middle. The microphone was a big round thing with a mesh front. I can still remember the metallic smell of it when I held it infront of my nose.

[George 1978]

Re: Grundig reel to reel

Great thread. My late father had purchased a Grundig reel to reel from a neighbour in the early 1970s for around £60 - a lot of money back then, but then again it was new technology when you think how much television sets cost back then.

He had at least a dozen reels which had 1970s music on them. Some of them were from 1975-1976 with Tom Browne's Solid Gold Sixty, and the fact that they were chart music helps to date the recordings. Browne can occasionally be heard introducing songs and then at the end just before the tape is stopped. Another had the test transmission for Radio Trent on them which started in Nottingham in July 1975. Another had some comedian telling jokes on them, although as the sound was poor I doubt that the listener would get them. And one or two had Dennis McCarthy (BBC Radio Nottingham presenter) present his Sunday morning programme.

It went around ten years ago when the scrap metal value of the implement deemed more important than what was on the reels.

[Twocky61]

Re: Grundig reel to reel

My Dad had one, though I forget whether it was Grundig or another make

I still have one reel with us kids back then singing carols & things

A friend recorded it onto cassette but I kept the reel anyway as a souvenir

One classic bit on the tape was when my sister, then aged about five, brought home from school a picture she had painted. She gave it to Mum but she threw it in the bin

When Dad asked on the tape where her picture was Catherine replied:

"Mummy threw it in the du' bin"

It probably scarred my sister for life lol