My GE M8350A - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Das Imperator · 9th Oct 2014, 5:31 am

Just picked up this wee beastie on eBay but I'd had one a long time ago. Back in the '70 my parents had this same recorder - a GE M8350A - in their bedroom. Once in a while they let us kids play with it but I most remember mum playing her recording of Harry Chapin's Living Room Suite. I ended up with it at some point when it was close to the end of its life anyway. I had parts of it saved for the longest of time. So now I have one again.

The seller offered this at a low price on account of tapes not playing at a consistent speed. Turns out the governor mechanism needed a bit of cleaning - as did the battery terminal. Didn't even have to change the belt.

Curiously, the motor circuit is completed through the chassis. I suppose that's why this thing runs off a wall wart even though there's plenty of room for a transformer - it has a pocket for the wart.

Records fairly well, plays nice 'n loud. The speaker is from Sanyo so I'm wondering if there's a Sanyo equivalent.

camtechman · 9th Oct 2014, 10:12 am

Could you clarify your question:

Quote:

The speaker is from Sanyo so I'm wondering if there's a Sanyo equivalent.

So, do you mean a Sanyo equivalent of the GE M8350A recorder or, a Sanyo equivalent of the already fitted Sanyo speaker?

Das Imperator · 9th Oct 2014, 10:19 am

A Sanyo equivalent to the recorder. And while I'm clarifying... might as well inquire as to when this was made - if anyone knows - as the owners manual has no copyright date. My dad once mentioned getting a tape recorder when he and mum were first married which would indicate - if this was that recorder - sometime around '67 or '68.

Jimmyhaflinger · 9th Oct 2014, 7:59 pm

the chassis and PCB are 100% Sanyo but they often made custom OEM products for other companies so you won't probably find a Sanyo equivalent

is there a Showa date like 45-8-2 somewhere inside this recorder?

Das Imperator · 10th Oct 2014, 1:25 am

Never saw one but then I didn't need to do much looking around other that to clean the motor and fiddle with the level meter - it's fairly sluggish and at this point only seems to show battery/power level. Not that I didn't know - thanks to this forum - how the Japanese dated their electronics. Won't be poking around to look for one as I'm more inclined to follow Dr Cassette's admonition to 'never touch a working system'.

9th Oct 2014, 5:31 am	#1
Das Imperator Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Capitaland, New York, USA Posts: 15	My GE M8350A Just picked up this wee beastie on eBay but I'd had one a long time ago. Back in the '70 my parents had this same recorder - a GE M8350A - in their bedroom. Once in a while they let us kids play with it but I most remember mum playing her recording of Harry Chapin's Living Room Suite. I ended up with it at some point when it was close to the end of its life anyway. I had parts of it saved for the longest of time. So now I have one again. The seller offered this at a low price on account of tapes not playing at a consistent speed. Turns out the governor mechanism needed a bit of cleaning - as did the battery terminal. Didn't even have to change the belt. Curiously, the motor circuit is completed through the chassis. I suppose that's why this thing runs off a wall wart even though there's plenty of room for a transformer - it has a pocket for the wart. Records fairly well, plays nice 'n loud. The speaker is from Sanyo so I'm wondering if there's a Sanyo equivalent. Attached Thumbnails

9th Oct 2014, 10:19 am	#3
Das Imperator Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Capitaland, New York, USA Posts: 15	Re: My GE M8350A A Sanyo equivalent to the recorder. And while I'm clarifying... might as well inquire as to when this was made - if anyone knows - as the owners manual has no copyright date. My dad once mentioned getting a tape recorder when he and mum were first married which would indicate - if this was that recorder - sometime around '67 or '68.

9th Oct 2014, 7:59 pm	#4
Jimmyhaflinger Heptode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: La Spezia, Italy Posts: 834	Re: My GE M8350A the chassis and PCB are 100% Sanyo but they often made custom OEM products for other companies so you won't probably find a Sanyo equivalent is there a Showa date like 45-8-2 somewhere inside this recorder?

10th Oct 2014, 1:25 am	#5
Das Imperator Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Capitaland, New York, USA Posts: 15	Re: My GE M8350A Never saw one but then I didn't need to do much looking around other that to clean the motor and fiddle with the level meter - it's fairly sluggish and at this point only seems to show battery/power level. Not that I didn't know - thanks to this forum - how the Japanese dated their electronics. Won't be poking around to look for one as I'm more inclined to follow Dr Cassette's admonition to 'never touch a working system'.