Ampex 291 - 1974 - CA
A simple Low Noise / High Output cassette assembled in Mexico by Ampex Corporation of Redwood City, California, USA, and imported by Ampex Canada.
Visible Characteristics & Important Details:
1. Solid Type I ferric tape suitable for voice, dictation, and everyday recording. Ideal for capturing radio broadcasts (AM or FM) with reliable results.
2. Blue leader tape and shells held by 5 screws, which is always an added benefit to welded shells.
3. Good felt pressure pad, and these do not seem to have unglued from their pressure pad post.
4. New and sealed, no‑frills cassettes designed for basic recording needs. Priced at $3.74 each, or $2.95 each when purchasing 5 for $14.74.
Note 1: 60 Minutes: The above notes tell all about these tapes. Low inventory available
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About AMPEX
Ampex Corporation, founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff, was an American electronics company whose innovations shaped the entire landscape of magnetic recording. While best known for professional reel‑to‑reel systems, Ampex also played a foundational role in the development of cassette‑grade magnetic tape, bringing studio‑level chemistry and coating expertise into consumer formats.
Ampex ferric formulations were robust, stable, and unmistakably “American” in character — thicker coatings, strong low‑frequency handling, and a durability that made their tapes a favourite in broadcasting, instrumentation, and early home recording. Their engineering culture emphasized reliability over flash, and even their consumer shells carried the same no‑nonsense build philosophy that defined their professional machines.
Although Ampex eventually exited consumer tape production, their influence continued through Quantegy, which inherited and refined Ampex’s magnetic‑media lineage. For collectors and recording enthusiasts, Ampex remains synonymous with the birth of modern magnetic recording — a legacy that still resonates every time one of their tapes rolls across the heads.