It is a little-known fact that old reel-to-reel tape recorders can produce very respectable-quality tone when used as an amp. Whether you are a frequent tinkerer, or low on cash, this is a great, cost-efficient way to get that warm tube sound without shelling out a minimum of $300 dollars for a tube amp. Older tape recorders can also be modified and be made into a tube-powered mp3 player amp. This article describes the process to accomplish this.
Things You'll Need
Reel-to-reel tape recorder with on-board speaker.
1/4 inch mono cable
Electric guitar or mp3 player
1/4-inch female to 1/8th-inch male converter cable
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Instructions
1
Look behind your tape recorder. There should be 3 to 4 different jacks.
2
Plug your 1/4-inch mono cable into the "Phonograph In" jack.
3
Plug the other end of your 1/4 inch mono cable into your guitar. If you wish to use the tape recorder as an amplifier for your mp3 player, plug the other end of the 1/4-inch cable into your 1/4-inch female-to-1/8th inch stereo male cable. Plug the smaller 1/8-inch male plug into your mp3 player.
4
Warm those tubes.
Turn on the tape recorder, and let the tubes warm up for at least 10 seconds.
5
Paper diaphragm speaker used in many old tape decks.
Begin playing your guitar. You should hear it through the on-board speaker. Choose a song and press "play" on your mp3 player. You hear amplified music.