Bargains on ebay?

[Rare Bird]

Just tonight won another reel for my Ferrograph 'Series 7'..paid a bit more than usual but being a nice one was worth it...The unusual thing about these is they are 8.25" diameter as opposed to the usual 7.0" reel

[Barry]

Just tonight won another reel for my Ferrograph 'Series 7'..paid a bit more than usual but being a nice one was worth it...The unusual thing about these is they are 8.25" diameter as opposed to the usual 7.0" reel

Two sizes were made 7" and 8.25". I have about a dozen of the former and a couple of the latter. Your 8.25" spool does look in good condition.

Do you know why the 'Hublok' mechanism is often found to have been removed?

Regards

[Rare Bird]

Two sizes were made 7" and 8.25". I have about a dozen of the former and a couple of the latter. Your 8.25" spool does look in good condition.

Do you know why the 'Hublok' mechanism is often found to have been removed?

Gis em

Aye i have two 7" ones, don't hold enough tape on 7.5ips..You don't really need the hub locks on a series '7' machine or most other later companies machines, hub lock was needed on the older Wearite Ferrographs that didnt have spool clamping.

Edit: Forgot to add Ferro hub lock reel do tend to jam some older machines spindles from different manufacturers.

[Barry]

Gis em

Aye i have two 7" ones, don't hold enough tape on 7.5ips..You don't really need the hub locks on a series '7' machine or most other later companies machines, hub lock was needed on the older Wearite Ferrographs that didnt have spool clamping.

Do the Series 7 have treaded hub spigots for use with a treaded spool retainer? I know the Brenell and Nagra machines do, so, as you say, do not need the 'hub locks'.

Mine were bought for the Series 6 machine I have. I read somewhere that the metal spools acted as radiating fins for the wind/rewind motors of the Wearite decks, which could overheat if used with plastic spools! Can't say I ever had any trouble though.

The 8.25" diameter was the original spool size chosen by Ferrograph as it was the same diameter as spools of 8mm cine-film, fitting most home projectors at the time.

Apropos tape length, a 7" spool can hold 1800 foot; enough for 45mins at 7.5ips. I can understand why most serious machines have the capability to take 10.5" diameter spools. I don't use tape that much, anyway 7" is the largest spool size I can fit on the Nagra. Nick (Beechwoods) and I have exchanged recordings we have made at 7.5ips on Nagra machines and I can't find fault with this speed on playback. Mind you, I have not done a comparison as such between recording at 7.5ips and at 15ips.

Regards

[Rare Bird]

Hi Barry
Yes the 'Series 7' are threaded...You need the hub lock for the old wearite ferrographs cos if you don't the reels are proned to vibrate..

10.5" are no good to me, 8.25" are perfect..

You can get 2,400ft on a 8.25" reel, The 'Series 7': '702'/'722' variants actually have 15ips believe it or not, you should get around half an hour out of a 8.25" reel @ 15ips.Just over an hour with 8.25" @ 7.5ips..

Only drawback with the 'Series 7' & the series 6' i think! is the tape doesnt disengage from the head on wind so you must remember to turn your amp volume off when doing so or fried tweeters could be on the menu.

Anyone wanting a 'Series 7' be prepared to spend some money on having the Pinch roll & three idler wheels re-tyred, the original Neoprene tyres are nearly always bolloxed.New ones are much quieter anyway.They either go to mush or rock hard, anyone who says 'Yeh there ok' are probably rock hard & not ok

Less hiss at 15ips than 7.5ips.. Don't like NR



You can see a 'Logic 7' to the left

[Barry]

Hi Andre,

Anyone wanting a 'Series 7' be prepared to spend some money on having the Pinch roll & three idler wheels re-tyred, the original Neoprene tyres are nearly always bolloxed.New ones are much quieter anyway.They either go to mush...

Yeah - tell me about it! The idlers on my Series 6 'melted', creating the most awful sticky mess on the flywheel. I bought some new replacements, but have yet to fit them - I can't see how it is done.

Regards

[Spur07]

Not sure if these are going to be a bargain or not but you don't see too many GALE 401s up for grabs these days.

Be interesting to see what they go for. (original post, Andre)

Id have thought about £150 ish, the wooden cabinet version was a better looker tho.

Just returned from a quick demo of these Gales. He's done a lovely job on them. Unfortunately I mislaid my CD of test tracks and had to listen to some unfamiliar music but they sounded very impressive in his workshop - huge sound. I'm in two minds about these, you just can't tell anything in a situation like that - they were connected up to a basic Denon amp. He said I could come back with all my Naim gear for another demo, but I'm not sure I can be arsed with all that. Would my 250 even be big enough to control all that bass? I thought it a bit cheeky to ask for a home demo

[Rare Bird]

Those Gale '401' need a good amp they are demanding speeka..

Here's the 'GS401-C' pictured below, i prefer these, the 'GS401-B' have the wood cabs the same but a flat front instead of the '401-C' curved front...

[John Mallett]

Hi I have for sale a pair of Radford MA25 power amps and an SC2 pre-amp, could someone please advise me what the value of these might be. Thanks John

[REM]

Just returned from a quick demo of these Gales. He's done a lovely job on them. Unfortunately I mislaid my CD of test tracks and had to listen to some unfamiliar music but they sounded very impressive in his workshop - huge sound. I'm in two minds about these, you just can't tell anything in a situation like that - they were connected up to a basic Denon amp. He said I could come back with all my Naim gear for another demo, but I'm not sure I can be arsed with all that. Would my 250 even be big enough to control all that bass? I thought it a bit cheeky to ask for a home demo

Given that the 250 would drive the 'dreaded' Linn 'Briks, I would have thought it would cope well with the Gales but there could well be other issues at work, a case of round v flat earth maybe!