Garrard Reel to Reel Tape Recorders

Company Description

Garrard produced reel to reel tape recorders from 1959 to 1965 which were manufactured in United Kingdom. These tape recorders targeted the consumer market. Garrard tape recorders used tube electronics. The company produced 4 track machines available in 220-240v & 110-120v voltages.

1735 – George Wickes founded Garrard and Company in London and appointed as Crown Jewellers of London.

1914 – Garrard & Co manufactured precision range finders for the British Artillery.

1915 – Formed Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company Ltd to manufacture precision parts for the military.

1919 – Started producing consumer products high-quality spring wound gramophone motors for Columbia and Decca. Introduced Garrard 1 double spring motor

1921 – Garrard 2, Garrard 3 & 3 with single 1” spring

1922 – Garrard 1a, with 12” pressed steel turntable, winder, brake, speed indicator and Garrard 4, with double spring and capable of playing two 12” or three 10” records .

1923 – Garrard 4a and Garrard 9

1924 – Pressed steel turntable patent GB216823 was granted to Garrard on June 5th. Released Garrard 8 with long 1” spring

1925 – Garrard / Columbia 5-5a-6-7-7a motors models were made especially for Columbia Pictures.

1927 – Garrard 10 cast with 12” plush covered turntable

1928 – Garrard employed Stuart Philpott, an electrical engineer. Philpott along with an assistant, Edmund Walter Mortimer were assigned to design an electrically driven gramophone motor.

1929 – Garrard 10a with longer double spring will play three sides of a 12” records

1930 – Garrard 10b.

1930 – Motor development programme resulted “Garrard 201”, first Garrard gramophone and first Transcription Turntable.

1932 – First Garrard record changer the R.C.1a and R.C.2a

1938 – Produced RC100 (could play both sides of each record, and also mixtures of 10- and 12-inch records) to be market in USA.

1939-45 (WWII) Production ceased during WW2. The Ministry of Defence made full use of the Garrard factory.

1945 – Major S. H. Garrard died. H.V. Slade cut all links with Garrard and Company. The Crown Jewellers and The Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company Ltd became a separate entity.

1946 – RC60, the last model to play only 78rpm records.

1948 – RC70 with 10 and 12 inch, 33⅓ rpm and 7 inch 45rpm vinyl records, as well as the older 78rpm records.

1950 – RC80, the first with a magnetic cartridge

1954 – Classic Transcription Turntable Garrard 301, first transcription turntable that played at 33 ⅓, 45 and 78 rpm speeds.

1957 – Released one of the first stereo pickups when stereophonic records were introduced.

1958 – A serious factory fire occurred on March 21. Production was restored with the help of  Plessey Company an electronics conglomerate, which loaned factory space.

1959 – New Autoslim series was launched with help from Plessey.

1960 – Company was sold to Plessey

1961 – Herbert Vaughan Slade died

1964 – Introduced Garrard 401 (produced until 1977) to replace the 301. The 401 motor had increased shielding to allow it to be used with more sensitive cartridges.

1964 – Launched Model Lab 80, first record changer with the performance of a transcription turntable and unique adjustment features such as wooden arm.

1965 – Garrard SP25 with four speeds; 16, 33⅓, 45 and 78RPM

1971 – The Zero 100 automatic transcription table with its revolutionary tangential tracking arm.

1975 – Garrard DD-75, first direct drive player began production.

1979 – Plessey sold Garrard to Gradiente Electronics of Brazil and their turntable series production was moved to Brazil (Manaus).

1992 – 1997  Garrard brand name was licensed to other companies in the USA, which imported many electronic items built by many different and unrelated Far Eastern manufacturers.

General Information

Brand: Garrard

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