Museum of early consumer electronics and 1st achievements
www.rewindmuseum.com

Vintage audio cassette recorders.

Amstrad Model 7000 Amstrad EX700 Tandburg TCD310 Readers Digest TDK-501 Sony TC150 Nakamichi leaflet

1959. The Garrard Bichette tape cartridge cassette system











Whilst this page mostly deals with the "Philips Compact Cassette", this was an earlier system from Garrard.
Garrard was very well known for making turntables for vinyl records but here they decided to design and
make a tape transport system and a clip-in cartridge. It was manufactured from 1959 to 1962.
Also called a "Bichette Magazine Deck". It was loaded with 2 reels up to 4 inches in diameter.

This particular model looks like it was built by the original owner. The box is excellent and the deck, available
at that time just as a deck, was built with an amplifier and headphones. Garrard also supplied the deck
to well known brands like "Dansette" who made the famous Dansette domestic portable record player.
They produced this tape recording system using the bichette deck and in an almost identical case to
the record player. In 1962 Philips invented the compact cassette but it was 1963 before it appeared in
Europe. This made the garrard system obsolete. It was discontinued in 1962. Was it discontinued due to
the Philips system or for other reasons? Would Garrard have known about the Philips compact cassette
system before the middle of 1963? Was it discontinued for other reasons? It would be interesting to
find out. For a while it was a useful interim system making reel to reel tape easier to use.

1974. Amstrad Model 7000 stereo cassette deck.





Amstrad marketed the 6000 and 7000 stereo cassette decks in 1974, They were an entry level product. They sold well
through the new chain of Comet stores. I bought one of these cassette decks brand new from Comet in either
1974 or 1975. It was used in a house we owned from 1974 until the beginning of 1976 and so the purchase date
can be pinned down to 74 or 75. This particular sample came into the museum in 2008. The quality, as with
many Amstrad products was, to be kind, average but it was also cheap and looked good. Can't remember how
much it cost .... One recollection was possibly £24 and the other was possibly £42 ?? If anyone knows the
purchase price in 1974, please send an e-mail. Wonder whether either of these memories are accurate....?

Update Feb. 2011
Three emails about this unit and it's price.

"Amstrad 7000 - I bought mine at B B Adams shop in Norwich in 1975 for £35."
"I bought my one new from Lasky's in 1976 for £56.25 (I worked all my summer holidays to save up for it!).
There was also a model 6000 which was cheaper as it had no Dolby system. I still have my 7000, but I
haven't used it for many years."
"I’ve just seen your page about the vintage Amstrad cassette decks. I bought the 6000, (non-Dolby) model
in ’74 for £42 – I remember being a bit annoyed that the 7000 Dolby version came out pretty soon after for
only another £8 at £50. As you say, performance was only average, but HFN did a good review of the 6000
and found it mostly OK apart from pretty high levels of intermodulation distortion. I’ve actually had some
records cut from old recordings on the 6000, so it can’t have been so bad……

Looks like my memory of £42.00 was the accurate option.

Update 2020. An Amstrad 6000 manual has been donated.



Below, an advert from "Popular HiFi" magazine January 1976.

Amstrad EX700 stereo cassette deck.





Little is known about this Amstrad cassette deck. It is a very basic low cost model. Probably dated a bit later than the
model 7000 above. The estimated date would have been mid to late 1970s. Any information would be most welcome.

1974. Tandburg TCD310 stereo cassette deck.







This is a very high quality semi professional cassette tape recorder. It is claimed to be a worlds first cassette recorder
with 3 motors and closed-loop dual capstan drive system. It also has 2 ferrite heads. It also has Dolby B noise
reduction circuitry. This unit is built like a tank and weighs 6.5Kg. It belonged to my cousin from new.
He donated it to the museum in 2007.

Below, an advert from "Popular HiFi" magazine May 1975.

1974. Readers Digest TDK-501 portable cassette recorder.







Little is known about this cassette recorder. Manufactured by TDK in the 1970s. Mechanical keys.

1977. Sony cassette recorder TC150 / BT-50.









This is a small light well built battery portable audio cassette deck, just the kind of good design and high build quality you
would expect from Sony, Unfortunately the years have taken their toll on the leather case. It is still substantial but flaking.
The unit contains 8 transistors. The model number in Europe was TC150 and in the USA BT-50. Weight 770g. Made in Japan.

1973. Nakamichi 1000 Tri-Tracer sales leaflet.