Sound 777 reel to reel tape recorder

[pbengtech]

Back in the 1960s when I was an apprentice Radio and Tv engineer, my cousin asked me to repair his tape recorder that didn’t erase or record.
The oscillator coil was faulty, but as the company had closed a new transformer was not available.So he only used the machine to play tapes..
Fast forward 60 years, my cousin died and when I was clearing his house there was the Sound recorder. Now I was a member of the BVWS and this forum so had more knowledge now.
On the forum I found a PDF copy of the Mullard Tape Recorder Amplifier book which had the specifications to make a replacement, and a copy of a Magazine article on making a coil winder from Meccano.
I set to looking on EBay for the parts I needed, while looking for an adjustable coil former, I found a brand new Tape recorder oscillator coil!
Now the restoration could start!
I made a bench test rig using the “ valve heaven “ design from the internet and got an oscillator running on the bench, and after changing the leaky waxy capacitors and dried up electrolytic capacitors it works again.
Awaiting parts for 60 years??
Phil B

[Nickthedentist]

Well done) what a shame your cousin couldn’t see the end result though.

[markgengine]

Great job.

[paulsherwin]

As you say, 60 years to complete a repair while waiting for parts must be a record.

[Techman]

Well done, but where's the pictures?

[DMcMahon]

Have not heard of the 777 before, it would be very interesting to see picture.

David

[Welsh Anorak]

Pictures wuld be great!

Looking on Google, there's a blurry picture of one. It was apparently made by Simon and used a custom deck. Interestingly it had three speeds including 15 ips - unusual for the day (pre-1960).

It doesn't help that 777 was not an unusual designation for machines - Sony and Technics used it. As did Boeng...

[Simon Gittins]

It's on page 7 of https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Tape-Recording-UK/50s/Tape-Recording-UK-1957-11.pdf
Collaro Tape Transcriptor deck.

[Boulevardier]

Originally Posted by Welsh Anorak

Interestingly it had three speeds including 15 ips - unusual for the day (pre-1960).

I would have thought that too, but looking through Simon's link at #8, it's surprising how many manufacturers (all soon to disappear from the market) were providing 15 ips as a standard speed. Not expensive to do, just needing appropriate capstan diameter and simple-enough equalisation provision.

Interestingly, the editorial in that same issue discusses the technical advances that allow the use of lower tape speeds, and the likelihood that 15 ips will disappear from the domestic market.

Mike

[wd40addict]

A school friend had one of these, donated by an uncle or similar. By the time I got to it he'd already stripped it for parts. Its mains transformer ended up in my Mullard 3-3 build!

Sound were one of the many small manufacturers of the period buying in mechanics. When Collaro replaced the Transcriptor with the Studio the 3 speeds on offer were now 7.5, 3.75 & 1.875 IPS. Not sure Sound were around long enough to use the later deck. I don't believe there was any connection with Simon.

The transcriptor went through several updates, but speeds remained the same. When introduced 15 probably seemed sensible and no-one would've been using 1.875. By the end of its run 15 was seen as a professional speed and Philips and friends had introduced the slower speed for speech recording etc. Helped by improving tapes and heads.

[pbengtech]

Here are some photos, the set up is for the photos but gives you the general idea..

The recorder was part of closing down auction sale when the company closed.
My relatives clubbed together to buy a pallet of 5 recorders.
Phil b

[Ted Kendall]

Originally Posted by wd40addict

Sound were one of the many small manufacturers of the period buying in mechanics. When Collaro replaced the Transcriptor with the Studio the 3 speeds on offer were now 7.5, 3.75 & 1.875 IPS. Not sure Sound were around long enough to use the later deck. I don't believe there was any connection with Simon.

Sound were pretty ubiquitous in the first half of the 1960s, selling not only under their own name but supplying to catalogue outlets, wholesalers and large retailers. They certainly did use the Collaro Studio, often with a custom top plate to modernise the styling. Around 1964, there were announcements of big sales contracts in the USA, shortly after which they disappeared, supplanted in the catalogue market by Philips and Grundig.

Simon was a completely separate operation - their early stuff was pretty crude, but around 1959 they came out with the SP4, which was effectively an English Grundig TK 820 - same facilities, two way deck, similar quality. Well received, but didn't sell too well. They left the domestic market when the SP5, an over-ambitious monster built around the rather dubious EMI domestic deck, flopped.

[wd40addict]

The EMI deck was awful, but presumably Simon got a good deal on them. Very short sighted as its clunkyness was completely out of step with Simon's usual market positioning.

[DMcMahon]

Originally Posted by Simon Gittins

It's on page 7 of https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Tape-Recording-UK/50s/Tape-Recording-UK-1957-11.pdf
Collaro Tape Transcriptor deck.

This appears to show 2 versions, a 3 watt and 4 watt with some controls and case differences.

David

[terry123]

Originally Posted by DMcMahon

This appears to show 2 versions, a 3 watt and 4 watt with some controls and case differences.

David

I reckon that was just marketing rubbish , pretty much the same electronics under the hood as some of the others in the range ie A19, A24 models just cosmetic diffrances. I have one here in the same style of cabinet, Works well enough as a domestic job. TRE (Tape Recorders Electronics) produced mainly budget models around the transcriptor and other decks of the period its history apperently goes back to MOS and the early Editor machine with the Lane deck. Reg Simon would be turning in his grave if he thought that he was connected to the Sound (TRE) outfit. The history is all in Barry Jones book .

[terry123]

Originally Posted by wd40addict

The EMI deck was awful, but presumably Simon got a good deal on them. Very short sighted as its clunkyness was completely out of step with Simon's usual market positioning.

Stereo version SP6 restored in the collection here. It was a hybrid model valve pre amps and a transistor power amp. ugly, boy is it, but works surprisingly well. Frank Clarke was a Co-patantee of the EMI deck.