Blank Reel-To-Reel Tape: Fishy, or Legit?

I see this seller and item pop up quite often:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=298&item=1948896555

Most 10½" reels I've seen are metal. The tapes in this auction don't come in a box, but in a padded envelope. No markings on the reel that I can tell from the picture, which almost makes me wonder if it's really Ampex tape on the reels. The only clue I can see is that Ampex has used this kind of plastic reel in the past (with the single finger hole in it, and clear, solid sides) on some 7" tapes I've seen. I do understand the idea of "bulk" tape, so this may very well be legit.

The only other clue to the tape that might be a giveaway--several years ago, I bought a half dozen Ampex 1200' 7" reels, and the adhesive tape they used to tape down the end of the reel had the numbers on it. (I believe it was 641.) If that's the case, these plastic 10½" reels, if they are unused, should still have that leader on it.

I want a couple more reels of 10½" tape to mess around with, but I don't want to tie up a lot of money in it. I almost wish I knew where the government surplus auctions were at, and when--I've seen a lot of used-once tape floating around (Ampex 456, Quantegy 499, etc.) that was used by the armed forces radio network. (I'm asking my buddy in the Navy if he has any insider info, since he's in Combat Camera and works with video, audio and photography).

My other options is to buy some metal reels and load them up myself with tape from two 7" reels. 7" blank tape stock is plentiful on eBay--can get a box of 12 Ampex 641s for about $20 usually. I don't need "Grandmaster" quality just to mess around with.

 

If, your going worry about this stuff, I'll send you some 10 year old Janapeese tape stock (Maxell UD or XL1 open reel stuff).

All this open reel paranonia is about tape stock that Ampex put out in the mid 70's.

It's safe, really, trust the experts. (just don't cut any acetates and sell them)

 

I actually didn't want to dump any money into buying new tapes, especially after seeing what they cost new. If I were recording live music or archiving...new tape, definintely. And if that were the case, I'd probably grab the DAT deck first, and just run the reels as a backup. My Teac deck (A-3300S) is solid and works well for its age (runs circles around the Sony, which needs a new home), but if I were to seriously get into taping this way, with newer tape stock, I'd look into getting another deck that could play/record at 7½/15ips. I think the premium tape would be lost on this deck. The sealed Ampex reels I've been using over the past couple of years work well, and I believe they had a late 70's date code (black/red boxes). Not as much high end as the newer Maxell UD35-90 I've tried, but the tape is thicker and not at all brittle. Seems to have fewer dropouts than the Maxell as well.

If it's 10 years old, used a couple times and bulk erased, it's good enough for me. I inherited some dumpy old Scotch, Realistic and Ampex reels when I bought a Sony reel deck several years ago. In fact, I have a reel of Realistic Supertape (oooooh, aaaaaaah), 3600' on a 7" reel, still sealed. After hearing another example of the same, I can see why nobody opened the box! All of those old tapes, though, really aren't worth keeping.

 

I wouldn't think about buying used tape, based on the horrible sticky-shed problems that plague so many tapes. I had pretty much stopped using analog reels about three years ago, but even then I was having terrible problems with some year-old tape stock.

Ironically, the "voice grade" tapes fared much better in this regard than the music quality tapes in this regard.

And no, it most certainly is *not* just about Ampex stock from the 1970s.

(Sorry, didn't mean to yell.)

 

Funny--I own relatively few but have never encountered that problem. The only problem I've had for old tapes is the tape gets brittle. These are usually those pre-recorded Ampex tapes from the 60's, or some of those ancient inherited reels of dubious vintage. Otherwise, the Maxell UD35-90s are great, and those sealed Ampex reels have held up quite well too. Maybe I haven't hit my bad batch yet.

 

Rudy,

My philosophy is just the opposite - I want the best tape that I can buy in order to get the best possible results. I have found this approach pays off - in very pleasing results, on my circa 1983 TEAC X-1000R Reel machine. I mean, it likes that new studio-quality tape!

But, if you are happy - that is what counts!

Regards,

Bob

 

>> But, if you are happy - that is what counts!

Sure enough! It's just to tinker with right now, more than anything. I don't have time to be a critical listener anymore, and most of my music is at background levels. If I'm going to "crank it up", it'll most likely be a CD or vinyl. These days, my main system is in the basement, and everyone's in bed when I'm playing anything down there.

The reel deck is primarily around for those pre-recorded tapes I find that I want to transfer to CD. Most recent was Cal Tjader's West Side Story on Fantasy. In all my years of looking, I'd only found ratty, mono copies for sale. I finally located a 4-Track Ampex reel, and it sounded pretty good. And as luck would have it, Fantasy released it on CD a couple of months after I found the reel! (This ALWAYS happens to me!!) If I have a handful of decent blanks, that's all I need.

I don't have the time or patience to dub a lot of anything to reels (that's why I got out of cassettes and vinyl into CD in the first place), but if I have a current favorite, or a compilation to make, I'll throw it on a reel for kicks. Plus, it's neat to show off, since most people I know have never seen a reel deck, or if they have, they've never witnessed one in operation.

Would love to have your deck, though.... ;-) Maybe late this year, when I'm single again and have more disposable income, I can upgrade and buy tape that's a little more recent than the 1980's! (I'd really like to find one that has 15, 7.5 and 3.75 ips, and dbx, but I doubt it exists.)

 

Rudy,

I still get the biggest thrill out of opening up a fresh Reel of Tape, threading it up and laying down some tracks while doing some re-mastering on each track as I go. As hard as I try, recording tracks straight to CD-R just does not give me the same rush. Must be something about those big Reels...I do not know?

Enjoy your hobby!

Bob

 

My transfers go to the hard drive before the CD, and it takes a couple of days (weeks, months, years, etc.) to get it done to my satisfaction. I still have WAV files from some 12" singles I dubbed to the hard drive back in 2001. Guess I'm still behind. ;-) Different kind of satisfaction, though, to come up with a nice CD presentation, and make custom cover art and print it on the photo printer.

Still, I would rather watch an LP spin on a turntable or reels spool their way through a deck with that soft "shwooshing" sound that they make. More fun than watching the numbers on the CD player increment, for sure!

 

I can tell you one thing...that ISNT the "best tape Ampex makes" the way the ad says it is. It aint no Grand Master. In fact, it kind of looks like Voice grade tape to me.

 

Agreed. Oh gawd, I can tell ya about some pretty thin 'voice' grade tape I've had to deal with being in radio.

I still have nightmares about the Bud commercials that stttreeccchhhh when you use them more than 3-4 times. You'd think the client would see that the dub house used good tape. NOT!

That looks like plain-jane stuff, possibly the budget Irish tape?

Like Steve said, go buy NEW stuff. Much better.

 

Absolutely agreed.

 

Heck...Ampex isn't even a brand name on new tape anymore, is it? Aren't they all marketed under the Quantegy name now?

Cheaper tape on those plastic reels does make sense. I don't think the seller says what product it is, though. I agree that for the price, it sure isn't Grandmaster!

Is there an emoticon for "shudder"?? Can't be as bad as this 7" reel of Supertape, 3600' that I have. I tried a reel of it (yes, it was free, and I needed a good laugh)--even when I cranked the input all the way up, I couldn't get the meters anywhere past 0dB while monitoring the output. That should come with a warning on the box: "Not suitable for use in a recording device." Nasty stuff.

Who else beside Quantegy manufactures blank R2R tape these days?

 

Radio Shack still does, AGFa also, I think

 

Maxell had some as of a few years ago...I guess they're out of it. UD35-90 was one of my favorites. Found Quantegy at one of my favorite tape outlets: http://www.tapeworld.com . Haven't ordered from them in ages. Probably the early 90's, when I bought some Fuji M221-HE's Hi8's for my camcorder.

 

You are correct, sir! 641 is roughly equivalent to Scotch 176. They may have upgraded it to back-coated, but it didn't used to be. Perfectly fine for what it is, but certainly not Grand Master.

And those plastic reels look like generic ones. And the price doesn't seem all that great - though I admit I haven't shopped for blank reel stock lately.

 

The sticky-shed problem didn't really show up until the mid '70's. Most tapes from before then held up just fine if they were stored decently.

I admit, I don't think I've encountered the problem with the Japanese stock, which I never liked much for other reasons (and so never used much). I've certainly had bad reels, at different times, of Ampex 406, 407, 456, Scotch 996, 226, 806, 807, and 808 (ironically bought for preservation work, since it's "low print through" stock). I am sure I've heard tales of similar problems with European stock as well.