Advice on Ferguson 3261

[Welsh Anorak]

Yes - the older deck with the centre speed change switch and right piano keys was certainly better than the one with the side knob. The later deck worked well enough but was noisy. I've only ever seen a 1 7/8 - 3 3/4 ips version of that deck - did they make a 7.5 ips? If so it would have been a pretty poor performer. I think it had a long belt like the Philips used to.
You're right about the auto record levels, though you could switch to manual if you liked (I liked). One meter though - this wasn't a high end machine! It had two elliptical speakers built in.

[quiberon]

Originally Posted by brenellic2000

The 3258 had auto-record levels (set for music or speech, if I remember correctly) which struck me as odd for an open reel deck.

3258 could be switched to manual record level control also.

Originally Posted by dazzlevision

Well, apart from the slider pots and push-push power switch, the 3261 (and 4261 - Marconiphone version) are electrically and mechanically identical to the earlier models with dual concentric rotary pots. It still uses the Thorn DC432 tape deck and electronics, with the piano keys on the right hand side

3261 / 4261 was DC432 (Schedule B), it had modifications to allow vertical operation.

Originally Posted by Welsh Anorak

I bought a 3258 when I was a teenager as a stereo replacement for my old Grundig TK124. What a disappointment! The deck was noisy and clearly not a patch on the old Grundig. Unlike the 3261 the piano keys were on the left, but the on'off switch and slider controls were from the same cheap stable.

The 3258 was my first deck that had DF415 mechanics and vertical operation, after that I had a UHER (SG521 I think), which I found tended to vibrate a lot (much noisier than my 3258 was). Then I bought a TEAC X-1000R which I still have working.