[ARSCLIST] Ampex made bargain brands

[Steven Smolian <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>]

> As I recall the heirarchy, it went, from top down:
>
> Ampex
>
> Irish (lower priced brand at retail)
>
> Shamrock (Retail also, but mail oder as well)
>
> Wescott (purchased through classified ads in audio magazines)
These came from Opalika, ALabama, where Apex had a plant, I belive, and 
where the boxes for it were made, I'm sue.
> White box (from Saxitone, in DC) (could be repacking of Wescott-level 
> stuff. Those two often had dimensional problems which caused them to jump 
> the tape guides.)  I'm sure Saxe carried other close-out stock as well.  I 
> bough 78s from Henry in his last years but never discussed this particular 
> isssue with him.
For years I had a big file of screwball tapes but needed the shelf space. 
They're in boxes somewhere at present.  Oh, don't ask where.

Steve Smolian



> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Casey, Michael T" <micasey@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 8:47 AM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Risk assessment tool--off brands
>
>
> What off-brand tape stocks would you consider to be at greater risk than
> the standard Ampex/Scotch products? Shamrock? Irish? I might add
> Sarkes-Tarzian. Are there others that are consistently problematic?
>
> Mike