Recommendations for a tape deck?

[jrethorst]

Coming back to R2R after 25 years (and wishing I had never left), I'm looking for a single motor three-head deck for mastering live classical guitar. I think I've narrowed my choice down to an Ampex F-44 or Tandberg 64 or 64x (the half-track 62 would be even better but maybe too hard to find). Any thoughts comparing these machines would be welcome.

Thanks,
John

 

[phantomrebel]

Coming back to R2R after 25 years (and wishing I had never left), I'm looking for a single motor three-head deck for mastering live classical guitar. I think I've narrowed my choice down to an Ampex F-44 or Tandberg 64 or 64x (the half-track 62 would be even better but maybe too hard to find). Any thoughts comparing these machines would be welcome.
Thanks,
John

Your choices are quite dated. Are you sure you want to mess with such old machines? I have had many Tandberg 6 series decks and all of them required extensive work (including recapping) to get them to perform well. The 64x (with bias head) is preferred over the 64, but both come with some great Telefunken tubes. Recapping is not that difficult, and at their age, all rubber needs replacement. I have no experience with the Ampex.
However, if I were to get a portable deck for live recordings, a Nagra would be at the top of my list (especially with a Sela mixer). After that, maybe a Revox suitcase. None of these are considered "mastering" decks. Much higher speeds (15-30 IPS) and 2-track or more would be desirable. Tascam made some good recording decks that can be had for little $. It's not clear what your budget is, or your recording environment, so hard to say but the if it is just between the two, the Tandbergs are best at playback (due to the great tube section) not necessarily live recording (limited input).