Vintage BINSON ECHOREC BABY

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"We've been tape and disc echo fanatics for years and have accumulated an extraordinary collection of echo units, some of which are being sold to finance other studio purchases.
We've recently sold a Binson PE603T, a mint Echorec B2 (see feedback below) and an amazing Baby Binson; we have an excellent Echorec 2 coming up for sale soon as well as valve and solid state Copicats (please see other listings) and various spring reverbs.

Offered for sale here is a valve (tube) Baby Binson disc echo from the late fifties or early sixties in reasonable cosmetic condition (see photos below) and good working order. Everything works as it should and this unit sounds good for an original Binson - the echoes are characterful and warm. I've owned this machine personally for around ten years - it has been well-maintained and looked-after during that time and has had minimal use as it was my back up machine.

We've tested this against our benchmark Baby (a fully-restored machine from Eric at ESE Music) and it performs well, though is not up the same standard (as one would expect): all echo head combinations are as even in level and tone as can reasonably be expected from a 50 year-old vintage machine such as this.

Please be aware that these units require some looking after and that regular maintenance is the key to keeping this in good working order.

The motor starts well and the disc spins smoothly, however after not being used for some time it can be noisier when first started and can take a little longer to get up to speed; this is especially likely to be the case after shipping. It recently had a new replacement transformer fitted - supplied by Binson UK.

The photos clearly show the condition - some past damage to the clear plastic disc cover and one knob has a piece missing. The input and output have been converted to 1/4 inch jack sockets and the power input is on an earthed IEC socket to comply with modern safety standards.

Binson Echorecs are amazingly-designed and engineered: where a tape echo's (ie Copicat) input sound is recorded to tape, on a Binson it is recorded onto a circular spinning disc which has replay heads poisitioned around it. It is possible to select single and repeating echoes or reverb-like swells - these units have a sound all of their own. The green Magic Eye valve glows with the level of signal and looks fantastic at night (or on a darkened stage). There is a richness to the sound of these older units - the repeats modulated by the ageing transport mechanism in a most appealing way.

Binsons were one of the must-have pieces of equipment for bands in the early sixties, alongside the Fender Stratocaster and Vox AC30. Famously-used and abused by Barrett, Gilmour, Waters and Wright of Pink Floyd in the 60s and early 70s (Binsons are very much in evidence on Live at Pompeii and can be seen on photos from many Floyd live shows), Binsons are increasingly sought-after by studios, mix engineers and producers for their unique sound.

Binsons do tend to encourage experimental noise-mongering.
The repeats are not hifi - this is after all 50 year-old technology - if you want perfect repeats, buy a digital delay.
Authentic fifties slapback echo, Hank Marvin, psychedelic Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd, Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin: all these sounds and more can be had from this little baby.

This is set to 240v but other voltages can be selected - it may be necessary to fit a higher-value fuse for certain voltages.

For optimal performance, the jockey-wheel, motor pin and flywheel should be kept clean; the magnetic band should be regularly cleaned and oiled; the heads should be regularly cleaned.

Please be aware that it is a vintage unit and may not take kindly to being shipped. It will be well-packed, but if it's not behaving as it should on receipt, please get in touch. Please be aware that to own a machine such as this, you must be prepared to have it regularly checked over and maintained by a competent technician: it should withstand being shipped, but some calibration may be necessary."