Baird Soundmaster - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

mad-dog · 25th Jan 2015, 10:51 pm

Hi, I'm looking for a bit of help please?

I am sorting out my late father-in-laws house, & I have come across one of these. I don't know much about them
except for a little bit I've read on here. I'm guessing it's pretty rare!

Anyway, here are some pics of it.

Can anyone help?

dave walsh · 26th Jan 2015, 2:57 am

Looks rare but that's unlikely to mean valuable. What help do you need?
Dave W

brenellic2000 · 26th Jan 2015, 2:48 pm

Baird Soundmasters are actually quite common. They were one of the most popular British made tape recorders of the late 1940s/early 1950s competing against the American derived T-P Sound Master. You have the later deLuxe model. They are nice machines.

These differ in having 'oxide-out' tape spooling compared to today's oxide-in standard.

Barry

mad-dog · 26th Jan 2015, 3:16 pm

Hi Dave, thanks for replying - we're trying to find homes for quite a lot of my father-in-laws possessions. I was interested to find out a bit more about it - what it was for exactly, how they connected up, what film they took, how old it is, etc.

Yes we do need to shift it on. Could anyone give me an idea of its worth.

We have quite a lot of old cameras and some other later cine cameras, etc. I don't want much or anything for it particularly, I just don't want it skipped, then again if someone said they were highly collectible and worth a fortune, then I wouldn't turn it down!

Cheers

mad-dog · 26th Jan 2015, 11:13 pm

Thanks Barry (sorry, didn't see your reply when I posted last time), its interesting that they were quite the thing of the time. I haven't been able to trace any others that have come up for sale, but where you get tapes for them I've no idea!

If the Forum Moderators don't mind I'll list it on the for sale section and see if anyone is interested.

Cheers

AC/HL · 27th Jan 2015, 12:33 am

Charity offer here: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=113406

brenellic2000 · 27th Jan 2015, 11:32 am

Mad-dog, the tape is the same as used on all tape recorders, it is just that it is spooled back-to front, if you like. It was a common method on the earliest, especially American decks. Value? - it's what people will pay for it - or are prepared to outbid - but most tape decks are selling for peanuts in today's economic slump so many are not surfacing until prices rise... again!

wd40addict · 27th Jan 2015, 7:34 pm

One of the oddities of this machine is the lack of fast forward. The really keen fitted a 3rd Collaro motor to the take-up reel! I have an article that explains how someone did this.

Regards,

Paul

brenellic2000 · 28th Jan 2015, 11:40 am

To be fair to Baird, many tape decks of the late 1940s to circa 1951 lacked a fast wind in both directions! Some budgets decks (and professional EMI portabes) had hand rewind!

Tractorfan · 28th Jan 2015, 11:52 pm

Hi,
Nice to see that it has still got its microphone. The mains input connector looks unusual. Could be a Bulgin type, or something similar. Hm, an interesting machine.
Cheers, Pete.

25th Jan 2015, 10:51 pm	#1
mad-dog Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Swadlincote, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 4	Baird Soundmaster Hi, I'm looking for a bit of help please? I am sorting out my late father-in-laws house, & I have come across one of these. I don't know much about them except for a little bit I've read on here. I'm guessing it's pretty rare! Anyway, here are some pics of it. Can anyone help? Attached Thumbnails

26th Jan 2015, 2:57 am	#2
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Baird Soundmaster Looks rare but that's unlikely to mean valuable. What help do you need? Dave W

26th Jan 2015, 2:48 pm	#3
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Baird Soundmaster Baird Soundmasters are actually quite common. They were one of the most popular British made tape recorders of the late 1940s/early 1950s competing against the American derived T-P Sound Master. You have the later deLuxe model. They are nice machines. These differ in having 'oxide-out' tape spooling compared to today's oxide-in standard. Barry

26th Jan 2015, 3:16 pm	#4
mad-dog Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Swadlincote, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 4	Re: Baird Soundmaster Hi Dave, thanks for replying - we're trying to find homes for quite a lot of my father-in-laws possessions. I was interested to find out a bit more about it - what it was for exactly, how they connected up, what film they took, how old it is, etc. Yes we do need to shift it on. Could anyone give me an idea of its worth. We have quite a lot of old cameras and some other later cine cameras, etc. I don't want much or anything for it particularly, I just don't want it skipped, then again if someone said they were highly collectible and worth a fortune, then I wouldn't turn it down! Cheers Last edited by AC/HL; 26th Jan 2015 at 6:48 pm. Reason: Clarity

26th Jan 2015, 11:13 pm	#5
mad-dog Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Swadlincote, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 4	Re: Baird Soundmaster Thanks Barry (sorry, didn't see your reply when I posted last time), its interesting that they were quite the thing of the time. I haven't been able to trace any others that have come up for sale, but where you get tapes for them I've no idea! If the Forum Moderators don't mind I'll list it on the for sale section and see if anyone is interested. Cheers

27th Jan 2015, 12:33 am	#6
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: Baird Soundmaster Charity offer here: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=113406

27th Jan 2015, 11:32 am	#7
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Baird Soundmaster Mad-dog, the tape is the same as used on all tape recorders, it is just that it is spooled back-to front, if you like. It was a common method on the earliest, especially American decks. Value? - it's what people will pay for it - or are prepared to outbid - but most tape decks are selling for peanuts in today's economic slump so many are not surfacing until prices rise... again!

27th Jan 2015, 7:34 pm	#8
wd40addict Octode Join Date: May 2009 Location: Stevenage, Herts. UK. Posts: 1,518	Re: Baird Soundmaster One of the oddities of this machine is the lack of fast forward. The really keen fitted a 3rd Collaro motor to the take-up reel! I have an article that explains how someone did this. Regards, Paul

28th Jan 2015, 11:40 am	#9
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Baird Soundmaster To be fair to Baird, many tape decks of the late 1940s to circa 1951 lacked a fast wind in both directions! Some budgets decks (and professional EMI portabes) had hand rewind!

28th Jan 2015, 11:52 pm	#10
Tractorfan Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.) Posts: 3,184	Re: Baird Soundmaster Hi, Nice to see that it has still got its microphone. The mains input connector looks unusual. Could be a Bulgin type, or something similar. Hm, an interesting machine. Cheers, Pete. __________________ "Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..."