Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Lef de art · 21st Dec 2019, 4:50 pm

Hello forum.
I have restore 2 Geloso reel to reel tube recorders.
One G258 and one G268. They look similar but...

The G258 (1958) sounds clear enough but the G268(1961)
sounds much better.
It has amazing bass and it is louder (G268).
They have the same main board/speaker/tape head but totally different connections in power supply.

Maybe somebody had the chance to compare them ?

Thanks in advance

Uncle Bulgaria · 23rd Dec 2019, 3:05 pm

I can't say I'm very experienced but I'd never heard of that make before seeing your post about repairing them. Perhaps they're very rare in the UK.

How are the power supply connections different if the rest of the machine is the same? Surely they can't have used the same components with entirely different operating conditions.

dave walsh · 23rd Dec 2019, 3:45 pm

Geloso are Italian. I have [most of] one of their Amateur Radio Receivers, the 208. A very imited number were on offer in the UK during the sixties. The VFO was used in the KW Vanguard Transmitter I believe. I knew they did Tape Recorders domestically but have never come across one in the UK. There may have been too much competition at this end of Europe at the time!

Dave W

vidjoman · 23rd Dec 2019, 4:00 pm

I did see the tape machines back in the 50’s in a small radio shop but they seemed lightweight and plastic compared to the similar priced Philips and Grundig products. I heard that some had a ‘live’ chassis with capacitors for isolation on the inputs. May not apply to all models though.

Paul_RK · 23rd Dec 2019, 5:17 pm

I've seen several Gelosos over the years and owned two or three at different times, but they've all been little single-speed machines such as the G-257

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/geloso_g257_g_257.html

so I suspect those may have been the only models with any mainstream distribution in the UK. The three-speed, larger and less plasticky G-258 and G-268 would have been rather higher up the scale of domestic recorders.

Paul

Lef de art · 24th Dec 2019, 1:32 am

G258 and G268 are 3 speed recorders. Lightweight and plastically indeed but with a good sound.
I have one Grundig TK20 and one Philips AG8108, they look better but the Geloso i can confirm that sounds better .
Geloso is Italian and some models was exported in some other countries as Greece, France .

The older models as the G255 (1955) they had live chassis.
After 1956 at least in the reel to reel recorders that has changed.

The G268 sound is surprising good. Loud, clear and with a good low frequencys.
.
The main board is identical with the G258 and all the components are the same but it has different power supply.
The quality of the sound is different in this two models.
The G268 sounds much better than G258.
In my pictures you can see the main boards, and the difference in the power supply.
Im not that good in electronics to can explain the update process.

Sorry for my bad English. I try my best

ms660 · 24th Dec 2019, 11:50 am

According to the schematics I'm looking at there are circuit differences between the two, eg: different cathode bias resistance for the output valve, and a difference in the heater voltage for one of the valves for instance.

Lawrence.

Lef de art · 24th Dec 2019, 1:51 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ms660

According to the schematics I'm looking at there are circuit differences between the two, eg: different cathode bias resistance for the output valve, and a difference in the heater voltage for one of the valves for instance.

Lawrence.

Perhaps this is enough for a really upgraded sound.
I have tested them with the same tape and there is a big improvement in the sound quality.

dave walsh · 24th Dec 2019, 4:38 pm

The big difference [with Grundig Philips etc] would be the idea of a live chassis tape recorder. We had plenty of record players without a mains transformer on sale in the UK but not tape recorders

.

Dave W

TonyDuell · 24th Dec 2019, 5:35 pm

The G255 has been cunningly designed so that with the mains plug one way round the chassis is live (i.e. mains live!) with the tape stopped. With the mains plug the other way round it is live with the tape running. You can't win!

The sleeve of the microphone socket (a 5mm jack) is directly connected to this live chassis. I just hope that the orignal microphone (which I don't have) was fully insulated.

I don't know much Italian, but from what I can deduce from the manual that came with my G255, accessories included a mains isolating transformer, a pickup coil to couple with the stray field of a radio output transformer (no, I don't mean coupling to a telephone here) and an audio isolating transformer.

21st Dec 2019, 4:50 pm	#1
Lef de art Pentode Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Nicosia, Cyprus. Posts: 165	Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. Hello forum. I have restore 2 Geloso reel to reel tube recorders. One G258 and one G268. They look similar but... The G258 (1958) sounds clear enough but the G268(1961) sounds much better. It has amazing bass and it is louder (G268). They have the same main board/speaker/tape head but totally different connections in power supply. Maybe somebody had the chance to compare them ? Thanks in advance

23rd Dec 2019, 3:05 pm	#2
Uncle Bulgaria Nonode Join Date: May 2016 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 2,329	Re: Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. I can't say I'm very experienced but I'd never heard of that make before seeing your post about repairing them. Perhaps they're very rare in the UK. How are the power supply connections different if the rest of the machine is the same? Surely they can't have used the same components with entirely different operating conditions.

23rd Dec 2019, 3:45 pm	#3
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. Geloso are Italian. I have [most of] one of their Amateur Radio Receivers, the 208. A very imited number were on offer in the UK during the sixties. The VFO was used in the KW Vanguard Transmitter I believe. I knew they did Tape Recorders domestically but have never come across one in the UK. There may have been too much competition at this end of Europe at the time! Dave W

23rd Dec 2019, 4:00 pm	#4
vidjoman Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: East Sussex, UK. Posts: 3,324	Re: Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. I did see the tape machines back in the 50’s in a small radio shop but they seemed lightweight and plastic compared to the similar priced Philips and Grundig products. I heard that some had a ‘live’ chassis with capacitors for isolation on the inputs. May not apply to all models though.

23rd Dec 2019, 5:17 pm	#5
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,255	Re: Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. I've seen several Gelosos over the years and owned two or three at different times, but they've all been little single-speed machines such as the G-257 https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/geloso_g257_g_257.html so I suspect those may have been the only models with any mainstream distribution in the UK. The three-speed, larger and less plasticky G-258 and G-268 would have been rather higher up the scale of domestic recorders. Paul

24th Dec 2019, 1:32 am	#6
Lef de art Pentode Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Nicosia, Cyprus. Posts: 165	Re: Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. G258 and G268 are 3 speed recorders. Lightweight and plastically indeed but with a good sound. I have one Grundig TK20 and one Philips AG8108, they look better but the Geloso i can confirm that sounds better . Geloso is Italian and some models was exported in some other countries as Greece, France . The older models as the G255 (1955) they had live chassis. After 1956 at least in the reel to reel recorders that has changed. The G268 sound is surprising good. Loud, clear and with a good low frequencys. . The main board is identical with the G258 and all the components are the same but it has different power supply. The quality of the sound is different in this two models. The G268 sounds much better than G258. In my pictures you can see the main boards, and the difference in the power supply. Im not that good in electronics to can explain the update process. Sorry for my bad English. I try my best Attached Thumbnails

24th Dec 2019, 11:50 am	#7
ms660 Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 13,454	Re: Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. According to the schematics I'm looking at there are circuit differences between the two, eg: different cathode bias resistance for the output valve, and a difference in the heater voltage for one of the valves for instance. Lawrence. Last edited by ms660; 24th Dec 2019 at 11:57 am.

24th Dec 2019, 4:38 pm	#9
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. The big difference [with Grundig Philips etc] would be the idea of a live chassis tape recorder. We had plenty of record players without a mains transformer on sale in the UK but not tape recorders . Dave W

24th Dec 2019, 5:35 pm	#10
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,208	Re: Geloso G258 vs G268 reel to reel recorders. The G255 has been cunningly designed so that with the mains plug one way round the chassis is live (i.e. mains live!) with the tape stopped. With the mains plug the other way round it is live with the tape running. You can't win! The sleeve of the microphone socket (a 5mm jack) is directly connected to this live chassis. I just hope that the orignal microphone (which I don't have) was fully insulated. I don't know much Italian, but from what I can deduce from the manual that came with my G255, accessories included a mains isolating transformer, a pickup coil to couple with the stray field of a radio output transformer (no, I don't mean coupling to a telephone here) and an audio isolating transformer.