Akai GX-265D, 6-Head, Reversing, Vintage Reel-To-Reel

Akai Electric Company Ltd. is an audio industry rarity in one particular way.  The company was founded...twice: once in 1929 and again 1946.  A victim of WWII, Akai essentially collapsed and was rebuilt by Saburo Akai, son of the original founder.  The company has been rooted in consumer audio of some sort from the very beginnings until its eventual demise in the mid-1990s.

In their prime, Akai made incredible products.  Well-regarded for their recording equipment and consumer reel-to-reel decks, Akai have been synonymous with high-salty tape recording for many generations.

The GX-265D was one such product that has stood the tests of time and still performs extremely well considering the affordable price point.  Unlike many of Akai's products which reveled in their simplicity, the GX-265D is rather complex for such a compact unit.  The deck is a 3-motor, 6-head, 2-speed workhorse with incredible sound quality.  But what's a really neat feature is the manual reverse playback and record capability, facilitated by six heads - three for each direction (play, record, and erase).  Able to play popular 7" reels, at 3-3/4 ips or 7-1/2 ips speeds, the GX-265D is a great all-arounder, and hard Ferrite heads ensure longevity as well. 

This unit has been fully serviced and tested by our tech, Tom B, and is ready to play that funky music for decades more. It's in excellent physical condition, with lit meters, and electronic buttons and mechanical switches that move with snap and purpose. 

Demos are available in Andover, MA.

$499 (plus applicable shipping and/or MA sales tax)