Saturday, August 3, 2013

Beautiful Artefact


"$5.00 –– Works!"

I found this Star-light reel-to-reel tape recorder (from the '70s?) at a garage sale this morning. I bought it for fledgling audiophile Marz, but also, it touched me, that humans make such pretty machines to catch sounds.

Imagine, or remember, a technology whose options are, basically, On or Off. It seems so primitive. And yet, how easily it could be lost. 


5 comments:

momo said...

wow, this brings back memories! My father had a serious steroe system (of course) including a reel-to-reel tape deck, with those giant reels, and I managed to keep it when he left the family. As a kid I loved messing around with it, and for years I recorded albums and things from the radio on it. I have no idea when I stopped using it or what I did with it, or the tapes.

Bink said...

It works to record? Or just to play?

Fresca said...

BINK: It needs new batteries and a mic for me to be sure--the previous owner just said, "It works."

MOMO: Cool!

bink said...

Did it come with blank tapes too? I wonder if the one that's on backward still works when it's forward?

Fresca said...

No, no extra tape or anything.
I think I might be able to find stuff online... Haven't checked yet.
So far, I'm happy just gazing at it.