Holy s*** reel tapes are EXPENSIVE!!!

[mhardy6647]

What do you mean by Concertape? Sorry I don't really know. The tapes I got are inherited from the guy who sold me the Teac. I don't even know what they are they don't seem to be pre-recorded ones mostly.

Concertape was Radio Shack's bottom of the line reel to reel tape - which they sold for years and years. It was completely generic; castoff tape from major mfgrs (e.g., Ampex) more likely than not. Dirt cheap it was, though.

see, e.g., page 25 of http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalogs/1978/
a 7" 1800 foot reel was $1.95@ in 1978

... or $4.99 in 1994
http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalogs/1994/ (see page 37)


EDIT: for the Concertape completist it looks like the first offering of Concertape per se was in 1967 at $1.05 for a 1200 foot reel.
page 23 of http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalogs/1967/

FYI, Mylar was/is a registered trademark for DuPont's polyester product
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpolyester.htm
PET(E) is, as you may know, also the stuff that your recyclable soda bottles is made of - and I guess, just maybe, our 1970s silkscreen print polyester disco shirts and leisure suits, too...

 

[Charlie]

David, I apologize for that confusion... I got you mixed up with someone else that was having a problem in another thread.... sorry bout that.

 

[ShaneR2R]

Concertape also made some good sounding pre-recorded tapes in the 50's and 60's. I have one from the late 50's that sounds excellent. Recorded at 7 1/2 ips. Sounds like it was recorded yesterday. The tape is acetate but still very strong. I've yet to see pre-recorded tapes have much problems with shedding, etc. All my pre-recorded reels from the 50's up to the mid 60's play without problems.

 

[Jonny Ramone]

$82 for classical stuff? You SHOULD be able to get sealed for less than that. Maybe being down under, it's different. It can be expensive. Your best bet will probably be getting scotch 150, 203, or 207 tape(they're usually what they were set up for, and affordable) and taping classical CD"s and LP's. I do it to enjoy the machines, as it's a fun way to play music and enjoy the work you've done on your deck.

 

[neuralrevolt]

I live in Australia and our CL equivalent wouldn't have any reels. Heck I can't find any classical music reel tapes on the Aussie Bay at all. Wonder what's driving the price when this reel thing's supposed to have gone out of fashion like decades ago?

The dwindling supply.

Welcome to the club. Try Quokka/Trading post. I found two R2R for sale there last week, but that was in Perth.

take advantage of the high aussie dollar and buy overseas.

 

[gummy]

I have 40 7.5 inch pre recorded tapes 4 track classical, at £1.50 each located in the UK but am willing to ship worldwide, I have played several and they have played fine.

 

[Dr Tinear]

G'day all

Since I'm awaiting shipment of belts for my new-to-me Teac R2R I wanted to get myself a reel tape too. I liked a Wagner tape (Tristan und Isolde) by Stokowski and that went for U$82! That's way more expensive than the price I paid for the Teac! This looks to be more expensive than vinyl spinning

If you're interested in classical R2R tapes, try this site: http://www.polyphonyrecordings.com/. The proprietor sells recordings by auction, but the bid prices seldom get out of hand. He ships worldwide and is very pleasant to deal with. (The usual disclaimers apply; my only connection with this business is that of a satisfied repeat customer.)

 

[jancumps]

I have 40 7.5 inch pre recorded tapes 4 track classical, at £1.50 each located in the UK but am willing to ship worldwide, I have played several and they have played fine.

Check the forum rules: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=176084

 

[eddisc]

Dividro,

Every second of pleasure has to be paid for with a minute of pain.

...being a motorcyclist, I'd wondered about THAT ratio as it seems one mile of 'nice' twisties is only enjoyed after about 60 miles of boring 'slab' (highway) or commuter traffic:yes:

 

[Deleted member 89059]

You guys bring to mind a question: If someone buys an R2R tape on ebay, and its coming to town on the same truck with someone who purchased an 18" woofer from Parts-Express, does the UPS/USPS/FedEx guy know not to lay one box on top of the other?

Gotta tell the seller to tell the carrier to apply FRAGILE stickers on the box.
Still, I used to work for a local freight company for a while, and we toss boxes around quite roughly.

 

[guiller]

Hi David, the average pricing for classical music tapes on eBay goes about 10-15 $. Some tapes go for much more than that. I' ve been buying tapes from eBay for more than 10 years and never paid more than 15 $ for a tape that I wanted.

 

[Zygmo]

Do I need to watch out for certain sizes for specific R2R? Mine's Teac 4070G and is my choice limited to certain size tapes?

No, David. I would think virtually all 10'' tape decks would accept 7" reels. Basically, it is the speed you have to consider. Again, virtually all 10" tape decks will play 15 and 7 1/2 speed, with some also doing 3 3/4.

Tape decks made for 7" reels will also handle 5" reels easily, and will have at least 7 1/2 and 3 3/4 speeds. 7 1/2 speed is a good choice for most sound reproduction, combining good quality with reasonable listening time. I can tell the difference between 15 and 7 1/2 on my Technics 1506, but it is not enough to matter for the most part.