Question: What type of reel to reel is that?

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tascaman

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Hi all.

Sly Stone is pictured in his Beverly Hills mansion with a reel to reel recorder in the background, with some boxes of tape near it.

sly.png


I was wondering what type of machine it is?

It looks like a Teac of some sort...maybe a A2340 or a 3340....

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Conrad
 
yeah, A-3340... pretty sure.

It can't be the A-2340, as the 2340 only takes 7" reels max.
 
It's a Teac A-3340 for sure.

DSCF0155.jpg


(My deck doesn't have the original knobs on the left:( But it works flawless:) )
 
Thanks for the help everyone!

What are the reviews on the Teac 3340? I am new to reel to reel, so would this a be a good machine to use for recording and listening?

It seems like it goes from $100-$500 on eBay.

Is it really needed if I just want to play back reel's?

Thanks
 
tascaman said:
Thanks for the help everyone!

What are the reviews on the Teac 3340? I am new to reel to reel, so would this a be a good machine to use for recording and listening?

It seems like it goes from $100-$500 on eBay.

Is it really needed if I just want to play back reel's?

Thanks
Click to expand...
if you just wanna record and/or listen to stereo tapes consider a teac A-6300 or A-3300sr (one on ebay as we 'speak'). either is built like a tank, simple to use, has auto-reverse, and most importantly, sounds really good.
parts are also supposedly available for them.
 
tascaman said:
Is it really needed if I just want to play back reel's?
Click to expand...

If at all possible, see if you can find something locally, say in Craigslist or maybe stroll through your local thrift stores (you would be amazed at the equipment that turns up sometimes!) before buying one through ebay. Reason being that very few people know how to properly pack and ship a 40+ lbs. open reel deck (or anything else for that matter). The odds are that you will probably wind up with a damaged machine arriving at your doorstep and will only serve as a parts machine. I don't mean to try to scare you, but the shipping aspect from ebayers sends chills down many a spine here.

Have a look:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=229729

Having said that, pretty much any Teac machine is going to be a good machine. Are you looking for a multi track machine or just a stereo (2 channel) deck for recording/playback?
 
in the past 14 months, i've bought 3 akai r2rs and my teac a-6300 off of ebay. they were shipped to me, some from the west coast-a 3000 mile trip, and they all got to me with no problems.

but if you can find what you want and buy it locally or thru CL, etc, (as noted above), and hopefully test the machine before you buy, that would be the preferred route.
 
Is there any advantage to having four channels for playback?

Also I have read that you can only listen to two channels at a time with headphones. Is it sort of required to have a mixer with this player?
 
westgate said:
in the past 14 months, i've bought 3 akai r2rs and my teac a-6300 off of ebay. they were shipped to me, some from the west coast-a 3000 mile trip, and they all got to me with no problems.

but if you can find what you want and buy it locally or thru CL, etc, (as noted above), and hopefully test the machine before you buy, that would be the preferred route.
Click to expand...

I'm darn glad to hear that. I wish they could all arrive safely though...

To listen to more than two tracks at a time through headphones, yes, you will need a mixer. If you are just going to run CDs or vinyl to tape for casual listening, then a 4 track multi-track deck wouldn't be all that great for you. However, if you are going to be laying down tracks yourself (guitar, bass, etc.), then the 4 track would be a great unit to start with. It just all depends on your needs. There is more than enough knowledgeable people on this forum to answer all your questions, either way you decide to go.;)
 
The date of that picture is May of '73...were 3340's around at that point?

How is it different than a 2340?

Thanks
 
tascaman said:
The date of that picture is May of '73...were 3340's around at that point?

How is it different than a 2340?

Thanks
Click to expand...

yes, they were around. They were both quadraphonic decks. The 2340 uses only 7" reels and recorded at 31/4 and 71/2 speeds. The 3340 uses up to 10" reels and records at 71/2 and 15 ips speeds. Ohter than that they are very similar and they both went through the same type of upgrades in the following years.
 
tascaman said:
The date of that picture is May of '73...were 3340's around at that point?

How is it different than a 2340?

Thanks
Click to expand...

The 3340 (3340S) goes back to 1969.
The 3340 runs at 15 ips & 7.5 ips.
The 2340 is a 3.75 & 7.5 ips machine.
 
Is there any advantage to having a 10" reel rather than a 7" reel?
 
tascaman said:
Is there any advantage to having a 10" reel rather than a 7" reel?
Click to expand...

Just more tape, which means more record time. There isn't really a sonic advantage between reel sizes. 10" reels give you more, so are more expensive.
 
Can the Teac 2340 handle a 10" reel of tape with only 7" inches of tape on it, if I want to aesthetically please myself?
 
tascaman said:
Can the Teac 2340 handle a 10" reel of tape with only 7" inches of tape on it, if I want to aesthetically please myself?
Click to expand...

no. not enough room on the deck.
 
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