Unknown Spinney tape recorder - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

TonyDuell · 26th Sep 2019, 2:39 pm

I was offered another tape recorder this morning, and it's something I collect so...

Anyway, I can find no name or model number anywhere on it. It's a blue and white 'Rexine' covered plywood case. It uses the BSR TD2 deck, the amplifier is to the left of this rather than in front as is more usual. There are 3 features on the amplifier panel -- a recording level indicator (looks to be an EM81, although I have not extracted it yet), a combined on/off and treble control and a volume control (probably also used for recording level.

There's a recessed panel on the back carrying the voltage selector and a strip of 4 phono sockets -- microphone, line in, line out, speaker.

The unit uses 3 valves and a metal rectifier (I assume, I've not found it yet). The EM81 I mentioned, an ECC83 and an ECL86. The 2 latter valves are Mullard, the output transformer says 'Richard Allen Audio' on it, the internal (small-ish) speaker is Elac. So at least companies I've heard of.

The only possible identifiction was a loose 'luggage label' type of tag loose inside (inside the 'works', not on top of the deck, so probably not just fallen there by accident). It has (I assume) the employee numbers of the people who built it, tested it, etc. And the indentification 'Spinney'. I understand that was a Littlewoods house brand (based on the obvious pun), but it doesn't look like any of the 'Spinney' machines I could find on the web.

Now I know this was originally a cheap domestic machine and is nowhere up to the level of some of the other machines I own (Revox, Ferrograph, Brennell, even Philips N4450) but I'd still like to find out more about it.

I'll try to put some photos up sometime...

Ted Kendall · 26th Sep 2019, 4:16 pm

This is probably made by Sound (Tape Recorders) Limited, who supplied BSR and Collaro-decked domestics to chain stores and catalogues in large quantities and under myriad brand names in the first half of the 1960s. The indispensible Mac Hellyer wrote an article in his Tape Recorder Service series in Tape Recorder on these machines, headed "Some Sound Variants" if memory serves. Around 1965-66.

TonyDuell · 26th Sep 2019, 5:18 pm

Thanks for that. It gives me another thing to search for.

It's hardly a complicated machine and I am sure I can track down any faults without a circuit diagram but if I can find one it would be useful.

kevinaston1 · 26th Sep 2019, 7:11 pm

Spinney was a trade name used by Littlewoods in the 60's.

There was a tread on these machines under member "Bumble Bee" on the 4th November 2013

Kevin

AndiiT · 26th Sep 2019, 7:56 pm

Hi, I have a "Spinney" branded Elizabethan LZ34 so it's possible that the machine you describe is an Elizabethan Popular 200 or 400, having said that mail order suppliers used a number of different badged machines over the years.
Looking forward to the pictures as that would help a great deal with identification.

Andrew

McMurdo · 26th Sep 2019, 8:04 pm

I think I have Which? 1960's tape recorder write-ups that include Spinney, might be in there if you can get a pic

Edward Huggins · 27th Sep 2019, 10:56 am

It's interesting to see that an EM81 was used as late as 1962 when the ECL86 was launched. Normally one would find an early version of the EM84.

julie_m · 27th Sep 2019, 2:56 pm

Are you sure it wasn't an EM85? This has the classic "angel wings" / "theatre curtains" display, but similar sensitivity as an EM84.

My Grandad used to have an Elizabethan tape recorder with a BSR TD2 deck and this kind of level indicator.

TonyDuell · 27th Sep 2019, 6:37 pm

It might well be an EM85. I just noticed the target shape on the panel and assumed it was an EM81.

Getting it out is quite a job so I haven't done so yet.

[As an aside my digital camera has decided that even new batteries are flat. I've not had a chance to find out why yet, but it means no photos of this machine for a bit].

TonyDuell · 28th Sep 2019, 11:33 am

Still not attemted to repair the camera...

But I did get the recording level indicator out of this machine. It's easier than it looks if you know the trick which is to remove the 2 knobs (pull off) then the plastic panel round the controls (4 woodscrews and a small nail). The indicator valve then comes out from the front of the panel.

And it is a (Mullard) EM81.

TonyDuell · 29th Sep 2019, 4:25 pm

I've bodged a repair to a digital camera (Oh, how I prefer working on film cameras like the Nikon F...) and taken a few pictures of this recorder.

They show (hopefully in order) the case closed, the cover removed showing the deck and amplifier controls, the insides of the machine (top panel removed and turned over showing the bottom of the TD2 and the amplifier) and the wiring on the underside of the amplifier (an end view of the last picture if you see what I mean).

There was a date on that label I mentioned -- something like 'inspection' or 'test' -- anyway the last stages of the manufacture. 18/5/62. So that might help in identification.

Anyone got any ideas what it is?

Edward Huggins · 2nd Oct 2019, 12:41 pm

Be aware that many of the "Spinney" branded portable record players made in 1962 were built by ALBA. This might be a re-badged version of what Alba were selling at that same time. We had a Trade Account with Sound (Tape Recorders) Limited from 1959 until their demise and all of their products, even the most basic, used am EM84 level indicator.
I don't think they will have made this.

Ted Kendall · 3rd Oct 2019, 1:01 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Huggins

We had a Trade Account with Sound (Tape Recorders) Limited from 1959 until their demise.

Interesting - when did they actually go under? References in the press to expansion into the US market around 1964 are followed by silence, as far as I can see.

26th Sep 2019, 2:39 pm	#1
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,213	Unknown Spinney tape recorder I was offered another tape recorder this morning, and it's something I collect so... Anyway, I can find no name or model number anywhere on it. It's a blue and white 'Rexine' covered plywood case. It uses the BSR TD2 deck, the amplifier is to the left of this rather than in front as is more usual. There are 3 features on the amplifier panel -- a recording level indicator (looks to be an EM81, although I have not extracted it yet), a combined on/off and treble control and a volume control (probably also used for recording level. There's a recessed panel on the back carrying the voltage selector and a strip of 4 phono sockets -- microphone, line in, line out, speaker. The unit uses 3 valves and a metal rectifier (I assume, I've not found it yet). The EM81 I mentioned, an ECC83 and an ECL86. The 2 latter valves are Mullard, the output transformer says 'Richard Allen Audio' on it, the internal (small-ish) speaker is Elac. So at least companies I've heard of. The only possible identifiction was a loose 'luggage label' type of tag loose inside (inside the 'works', not on top of the deck, so probably not just fallen there by accident). It has (I assume) the employee numbers of the people who built it, tested it, etc. And the indentification 'Spinney'. I understand that was a Littlewoods house brand (based on the obvious pun), but it doesn't look like any of the 'Spinney' machines I could find on the web. Now I know this was originally a cheap domestic machine and is nowhere up to the level of some of the other machines I own (Revox, Ferrograph, Brennell, even Philips N4450) but I'd still like to find out more about it. I'll try to put some photos up sometime...

26th Sep 2019, 4:16 pm	#2
Ted Kendall Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 3,675	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder This is probably made by Sound (Tape Recorders) Limited, who supplied BSR and Collaro-decked domestics to chain stores and catalogues in large quantities and under myriad brand names in the first half of the 1960s. The indispensible Mac Hellyer wrote an article in his Tape Recorder Service series in Tape Recorder on these machines, headed "Some Sound Variants" if memory serves. Around 1965-66.

26th Sep 2019, 5:18 pm	#3
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,213	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder Thanks for that. It gives me another thing to search for. It's hardly a complicated machine and I am sure I can track down any faults without a circuit diagram but if I can find one it would be useful.

26th Sep 2019, 7:11 pm	#4
kevinaston1 Hexode Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Featherstone, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 386	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder Spinney was a trade name used by Littlewoods in the 60's. There was a tread on these machines under member "Bumble Bee" on the 4th November 2013 Kevin

26th Sep 2019, 7:56 pm	#5
AndiiT Octode Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Saltburn-East, Cleveland, UK. Posts: 1,786	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder Hi, I have a "Spinney" branded Elizabethan LZ34 so it's possible that the machine you describe is an Elizabethan Popular 200 or 400, having said that mail order suppliers used a number of different badged machines over the years. Looking forward to the pictures as that would help a great deal with identification. Andrew

26th Sep 2019, 8:04 pm	#6
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,273	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder I think I have Which? 1960's tape recorder write-ups that include Spinney, might be in there if you can get a pic __________________ Kevin

27th Sep 2019, 10:56 am	#7
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 8,335	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder It's interesting to see that an EM81 was used as late as 1962 when the ECL86 was launched. Normally one would find an early version of the EM84. __________________ Edward.

27th Sep 2019, 2:56 pm	#8
julie_m Dekatron Join Date: May 2008 Location: Derby, UK. Posts: 7,735	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder Are you sure it wasn't an EM85? This has the classic "angel wings" / "theatre curtains" display, but similar sensitivity as an EM84. My Grandad used to have an Elizabethan tape recorder with a BSR TD2 deck and this kind of level indicator. __________________ If I have seen further than others, it is because I was standing on a pile of failed experiments.

27th Sep 2019, 6:37 pm	#9
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,213	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder It might well be an EM85. I just noticed the target shape on the panel and assumed it was an EM81. Getting it out is quite a job so I haven't done so yet. [As an aside my digital camera has decided that even new batteries are flat. I've not had a chance to find out why yet, but it means no photos of this machine for a bit].

28th Sep 2019, 11:33 am	#10
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,213	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder Still not attemted to repair the camera... But I did get the recording level indicator out of this machine. It's easier than it looks if you know the trick which is to remove the 2 knobs (pull off) then the plastic panel round the controls (4 woodscrews and a small nail). The indicator valve then comes out from the front of the panel. And it is a (Mullard) EM81.

29th Sep 2019, 4:25 pm	#11
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,213	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder I've bodged a repair to a digital camera (Oh, how I prefer working on film cameras like the Nikon F...) and taken a few pictures of this recorder. They show (hopefully in order) the case closed, the cover removed showing the deck and amplifier controls, the insides of the machine (top panel removed and turned over showing the bottom of the TD2 and the amplifier) and the wiring on the underside of the amplifier (an end view of the last picture if you see what I mean). There was a date on that label I mentioned -- something like 'inspection' or 'test' -- anyway the last stages of the manufacture. 18/5/62. So that might help in identification. Anyone got any ideas what it is? Attached Thumbnails

2nd Oct 2019, 12:41 pm	#12
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 8,335	Re: Unknown Spinney tape recorder Be aware that many of the "Spinney" branded portable record players made in 1962 were built by ALBA. This might be a re-badged version of what Alba were selling at that same time. We had a Trade Account with Sound (Tape Recorders) Limited from 1959 until their demise and all of their products, even the most basic, used am EM84 level indicator. I don't think they will have made this. __________________ Edward.