Ampex deck
Rex, I think theses were the typical Ampex decks produced in the late fifties/early sixties. The decks you and I remember, with the center controls in the cover over the capstain drive, I think came out about mid-sixties.
I have a 1967 Allied Electronics catalogue, which by this time had the newer style Ampex decks in in.
The first picture is the older A style like in the console. The second picture is I think what you and I are remember, the 600 series. I drooled over those decks in the late sixties.
Some years ago, one of my students who was an audiophile gave me one of those decks. It didn't work. He couldn't fix it. So he gave it to me. I knew I was in trouble because he was a wiz at things like that. I couldn't get it to work either, even after purchasing the repair manual for it.
I think Ampex built the most overdesigned complex deck I have ever seen. The outside of the 600 series was clean and simple. The inside was a nightmare, and it weighed a ton. No wonder they cost so much. But it was built solid with a lot of quality.
I ended up pitching the unit as I just got so frustrated trying to fix it, as I couldn't find repair parts for it anywhere. Wish I had kept it now, if nothing more than just to have it on display. It was the higher end self threading unit.


Rex, I think theses were the typical Ampex decks produced in the late fifties/early sixties. The decks you and I remember, with the center controls in the cover over the capstain drive, I think came out about mid-sixties.
I have a 1967 Allied Electronics catalogue, which by this time had the newer style Ampex decks in in.
The first picture is the older A style like in the console. The second picture is I think what you and I are remember, the 600 series. I drooled over those decks in the late sixties.
Some years ago, one of my students who was an audiophile gave me one of those decks. It didn't work. He couldn't fix it. So he gave it to me. I knew I was in trouble because he was a wiz at things like that. I couldn't get it to work either, even after purchasing the repair manual for it.
I think Ampex built the most overdesigned complex deck I have ever seen. The outside of the 600 series was clean and simple. The inside was a nightmare, and it weighed a ton. No wonder they cost so much. But it was built solid with a lot of quality.
I ended up pitching the unit as I just got so frustrated trying to fix it, as I couldn't find repair parts for it anywhere. Wish I had kept it now, if nothing more than just to have it on display. It was the higher end self threading unit.

