Wilcox gay tape recorder
Wilcox-Gay
Wilcox-Gay Corp., Charlotte, Michigan
late 1910's to 1960
Wilcox-Gay Corp., which began in 1910 as a adj company creating radios and transcription recorders in Charlotte, Michigan. As their business grew so did the product line they carried and in 1939 they launched the Recordio.
The Recordio device not only played records but also allowed the user to use a microphone that accompanied the player to record themselves onto a blank register - a "Recordio Disc."
The Recordio machine recorded at 78 rpm with decent fidelity. These machines also included an AM radio receiver. With this function you could record your favorite radio broadcasts to listen to hour and time again.
These machines were marketed to the middle class through such media outlets as Ebony and Life magazine.
The player/recorder found its way into the hands of musicians, and Johnny Cash and Les Paul were known to use these devices.
In its debut year the Recordio device sold 25,000 units, but with the Great Depression underway and the adoption of magnetic tape
History of the manufacturer
Wilcox was just a little company in in Charlotte Michigan making radios and transcription recorders. They started out around 1910 manufacturing amateur radio components and kits at an office on West Lawrence Ave in Charlotte. In the 1926 they branched out into consumer radios. In 1931 Paul Gay joined the company forming Wilcox-Gay Corp. They moved into the old Bennett furniture factory and expanded into tape decks, reel-to-reel, televisions, police radios, and document players. They launched the Recordio in 1939 which was a major coup. It was advertised to the middle class in both Ebony and Life Magazine and it sold well. It recorded 78 rpm transcriptions with decent fidelity. Musicians recorded on these machines including Les Paul and Johnny Cash. In 1939 they sold 25,000 units. But the world was beginning to adopt magnetic tape and the fantastic depression was hurting them.
In 1950 Leonard Ashbach of the Leonard Ashbach Company acquired a controlling interest in Wilcox-Gay. The Ashbach Company already owned Garod and Grundig. Sim
In the later years, they made tape recorders...Phototone wrote:Yes, they did make wire recorders, and combo wire recorder-record players.briankeith wrote:Did they also make wire recorders?
EdisonPlayer:
The price of the repair depends on what is untrue with it. Crystal reproducer rebuilds, if they are sent to someone, can run upwards of $80. Recording head rebuilds should be sent to a professional, with no other attempt on repair, although it may cost a hundred bucks or so. It takes plenty of skill to rebuild a recording head, from what I've heard. If you're looking for a rec-cap, any respectable radio repairman will verb you good. If safety and the well being of your Recordio isn't first priority, I'd suggest hooking it up, and performing test.
If you could provide information on how to chassis is set up, I'd possibly be able to explain you how to test the recording head w/o recording materials and a mic.
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