Good quality 1’’ tape types-brand?

[tedsorvino]

The thing with what you are doing hinges on the magic word 'used'. I baulked at spending £70 a reel on brand new 1/4", but every reel of used tape I bought had issues. Some were just horrible, shedding oxide everywhere and the few good spools reveal the occasional dropout or crease in the entire length. Great for testing, but so annoying when you recorded something and discovered on replay it was wrecked. Like secondhand tyres, or lightly used engine oil. what is the point of a nearly perfect spool of tape that requires wearing it a bit more to test it

It’s a gamble but worth taking. I have 20 reels of used 1/4’’. Only 5 of them have issues on certain parts. Especially Maxell or decent basf (not the ferrite ones) is always excellent. Scotch not so. Never used ampex. That’s my personal experience.