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Old 19th Apr 2017, 8:45 pm   #3
Stevie342000
Hexode
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 373
Default Re: Brenell STB-1 Restoration & Help Needed

I would think that given the limited time the STB-1 was in production that it would be rarer than an STB-2 but you never know. The STB-2 was in production for at least 5 years from 1965 but in that time it got hellishly expensive and as sales were decreasing in the UK high fidelity industry in general and in reel to reel tape recorders especially with the encroachment of Far Eastern products. Plus the lack of advertising or reviews of Brenell equipment and other manufacturers in the UK.

Oh yes I agree totally with checking the heads to see if they are O/C. I have a similar Mk5 with a Brenell Tape link in my favourite too the green/blue colour, gold comes next for me and the grey just looks like it needs a good wash but is probably the harder wearing surface of the them all after the gold.

As most of the Mark 5 and come to mention it the Mark 6 to a large degree are based on the one design essentially they are just cosmetic variations, they would have had to have made changes to production using the press to make any real changes to the cut-outs and cost as well as ease of production by having one unified tape deck was the order for the day.

The electronics changed more over time. I have a Mk6 as well, which needs heads, head covers are there but no heads or electronics but I have a solid state version of the Brenell tape link essentially the same or similar to the 1970 wireless world publication.

They used the same heads for the solid state and the valve tape link plus I have seen that Servicesound have fitted some Brenells with Ferrograph heads (alleged to sound better too). I have some spare series 6 and series 7 Ferrograph heads as well as some stereo 1/4 track heads from Ampex probably 600 series or the like.

Yes I have a Ferrograph Series 7 as well as a Vortexion CBL6H (which needs recapping) and a Vortexion CBL5 which as far as I know has the low ht problem, so it does not stay engaged when put in to any function as it does not lock (a recent acquisition as well, I think it was like £100 and was local/ delivered the next day too after purchase).

Other machines include a Truvox MkIII I think it is, an Ampex 400 with early 350 electronics (mil-spec version circa February 1953), an Ampex 351 and every other variation of the Brenell Mk5 including a nice green/blue 10 1/2 " spool version. I have a Jason stereo Tape Link as well, plus a couple of Kellar KDB 1 (or 2 I think it is) dolby units with alignment tape and a set of instructions.

I have a staggered stereo Mk5 as well, as an Odd Brenell Mk5 (gold I think) which has mini-flux stereo heads. Something of a Brenell nut, just a STB-2 and 10 1/2" spool versions to go to complete the set. Would kill (not literally) for a Mk7 and a Ferrograph Logic 7. But I think I have enough tape projects to do as it stands.

Yes the Series 2 Mk 5 moved from AEI motors to papst for the capstan then I think it went all papst after that. I would imagine that you could swap the motors around Barry or some one else would know for sure.

I additionally have a full set (in colour - its a copy but a high quality one) of the instructions for a Brenell STB-2 - it is very high class for its time and much more comprehensive than the old gestetner copies for the earlier Mk5 series. Brenell probably produced the same for the STB-1 as they are very similar machines. I have a copy (somewhere in paper plus electronic copy) for the Brenell Valve Tape link. Plus most of the Vortexon schematics, amplifiers, mixers, tape decks and so plus Ferrograph of course.

The main difference between the STB-1 and STB-2 is an extra ECC83 (or 2) and the switchable gain in the feedback chain, the Valve Tape link is a derivative of the STB-1 circuit from what I can see.

Anyhow I digress as per usual, any help in what steps I should take to bring this STB-1 back in to play would be appreciated.
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