I suggest you search for 1/4'' tape machines in ½-track configuration with the speeds of 3,75 and 7,5 ips.
The machine should have 3 heads and space for 10,5'' reels.

If you want aftermarket support, Studer-Revox and Otari are plenty out there.

If you want to know about specific machines you have "in sight", feel free to ask here.

"dolph"

I have a couple R2R's laying around here, let me see what they are for sure and I will pm you. I know I have an Akai and a Teac, I also have an Akai a Teac and an Onkyo that was my own for cassette deck I will be moving on.

Jim

I went online yesterday searching for "blank tape for reel to reel tape decks" and found virtually nothing. One site had "Brand 5" tapes available, but no site had 10 1/2" reels. The Scotch 102 tapes a previous poster found on ebay are mediocre (at best) tapes, and considering their age, may already have their oxide coming off.

When I first bought my Akai machine, I purchased Scotch "Classic" 10 1/2" reel tape. It was luxuriously packaged, but not a particularly good performer when compared to the Maxell or TDK tapes available. Over the years, the Scotch Classic tapes deteriorated so badly, I had to throw all of them out.

On another note, and just for laughs, I thought I'd relay an incident at my home about 5 years ago. I had just moved into a brand new home in Aurora, CO., and had the builder come to inspect a few problems. When this young man saw my system, the first thing that caught his eye was my reel to reel machine with its large, metal tape spools. He looked at it stunned, and asked, "WHat is THAT?" He had absoutely no idea what it was!

Hi all
I just want to thank you all for your help.
Jim I appreciate it. Just PM me when you know. Also do you have a bullet proof vest?

http://www.tapestockonline.com/reeltoreel.html

more tapes
http://www.randallareed.com/Reel_to_Reel_Tape.htm

Do you need one? I do have a steel pot, Korean era, picked it up as a joke motorcycle helmet.

Jim

no my wife yells for 2 seconds then just shakes her head.

I guess I didn't search far enough. Also, a 10 1/2" reel of Maxell UD tape for $49.95 is a bargain, given the fact that such a reel of tape 30 years ago sold for around $25.00 Unfortunately, it may actually be 30 years old!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...:MEWN:IT&ih=002
i bought these

What would an Akai M-10 be worth. Also are the tube r2r any good?

The Akai M-10 is cool looking.

I would not guess on a price.
Many machines are priced from a collectors view.

Tube amping of R2R can have a very cool influence on the sound like it does e.g. in the Revox G36.

But Transistors or MOS-FET can also be great sounding and in the end it's alle depending on what general sound quality is thrown into the circuit designs.

When it comes to sound quality and the Akai M-10, you will be able to find quite a few machines sounding better.

Akai never made anything but consumer models and they are known for the very well lasting but less well sounding glass ferrit heads.
I can not, for sure, say if the glass ferrit is used on the M-10.
Maybe the GF heads came later.

If you want to buy it for collecting purposes, all this does not matter much but if you're going for sound quality or reliability in pro-sumer use, I would not recommend it.

"dolph"

Pioneer RT 707

from what I have heard, that's supposed to be a pretty good r2r, not the best, but by no means a slouch.

elroy

well i may buy a AKAI GX 4000D I have read reviews and it seems they are very good deck. Any other opinions.