ampex 1" what?!

JustinBell

New member
Hey guys, I live in Canada and came accross this last nite

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-musical-instruments-Multi-Piste-Ampex-1-W0QQAdIdZ100884374

the seller doesnt say what model it is, and the price seems extremely low for a 1" 8 track. can anyone tell me about this machine?
Im not hell bent on getting a 1"8track or 2" 16, Id be cool with a 1/2 tascam 58 or something like that but I hear conflicting things about the quality of those machines alot, from people like larry crane (tapeop magazine)

anyway, any help would be great thanks
 
It's an AG440-8. The ad refers to a 1/2" mod (in French). This could mean it has a 2nd set of heads and guides for 1/2" tape or it has been totally changed over for that width. I'd wouldn't buy until checking it out thorougly. The Ampex 440 series is an excellent sounding machine, assuming good condition.
 
I called and indeed it is modified for 1/2" 4 track use. It was being used at a facility to dub cassette tapes. The 1" heads are missing.
 
Heads, guides, don't know about the rotating tape guide (the spinny thing above the headblock) or the reel idler (the spinny thing to the left of the block)...got a quote for a full set of low-use 440C-8 heads complete with block and housing (so you get the right and left guides) for...$500. :eek: Yep...no prob...just swap heads. :rolleyes::o
 
the heads are by far the most important and expensive part. 1" heads are particularly hard to come by...
you'd also need a whole new set of guides. then pray that nothing is wrong with those unused amps. i'd also wonder if the original capstan motor is in there, or if they put a lighter duty one in at some point when they downgraded the machine.
it'd be a pretty huge project to upgrade the machine in my opinion.
 
Heads, guides, don't know about the rotating tape guide (the spinny thing above the headblock) or the reel idler (the spinny thing to the left of the block)...got a quote for a full set of low-use 440C-8 heads complete with block and housing (so you get the right and left guides) for...$500. :eek: Yep...no prob...just swap heads. :rolleyes::o
That's almost certainly far less than you'd pay for a newly-constructed set.
 
I called and indeed it is modified for 1/2" 4 track use. It was being used at a facility to dub cassette tapes. The 1" heads are missing.
I wouldn't be surprised if this machine were set up for some custom speed if it came from a duplication facility.
 
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