Any distributors list of prerecorded R2R?

Any one know of any distributors list of prerecorded R2R tapes? I'm sure there were list from back in the 70's & 80's, but haven't ran across anything online. I would think something survived from a Towers record store or a distributor. I had a friend that worked for a distributor back in the late 70's and I would go look thru so he could order some Japanese imported vinyl. I didn't have R2R then, but would think that same list I was looking at for vinyl, also showed what was available in R2R!

Good luck on this one. I have asked about this a couple times with limited response. I would still be interested in the same.

Yea, I have looked online also....Problem is who now has the tapes? Probably lost forever and/or not playable due to tape sticky, moisture from bad storage.

I mean even if you find some of these old tapes the SQ has to be pretty dismal...don't you think?

Actually every one of the prerecorded R2R tapes I've found — some of them 50 years old — has played well. I know there are ones that have decayed. But I have been happily surprised by how well-preserved many of them are.

I, too, would love to find some kind of comprehensive list of what was available commercially in the reel format. I can't always find info about the recordings I find.

I've been surprised at the quality of the hand full I have as well. There are some I would love to have, but have never found any evidence that they ever existed. I corresponded with one seller about King Crimson, Camel and Rare Bird and he said he had sold all those! I expect there may have been some King Crimson, but very limited...and yes any of these titles would be hard to find if ever produced. I think I will ask my friend that would order the Japanse imports for me in the 70's & 80's, just to refresh my memory about what we would order vinyl from in looking for artist such as Sakamoto or Masami Tsuchiya which were nonexistent in stores in Nashville TN. Strangely enough, he now lives in Japan!

Regarding quality. I have maybe 140 studio pre-recorded tapes and only have a couple that don't sound great. The bad ones have drop outs somewhere in the tape. Generally chalk that up to the previous owners carelessness. All the others sound fantastic and none have any sticky tape issues. Truly enjoy playing these.

Catcher10 said:

Probably lost forever and/or not playable due to tape sticky, moisture from bad storage.

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Sticky tapes are all back coated tapes, if I am not mistaken.

Pre recorded commercial tapes were never recorded on back coated tape, again, if I am not mistaken.

I have never seen anyone post an issue of SSS with pre recorded tapes, and I have not experienced it.

oldvinyldude said:

Sticky tapes are all back coated tapes, if I am not mistaken.

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In fact no, there are documented cases of non-back-coated tapes suffering from SSS. But they are much less common. Don't conclude from this that all back-coated tapes suffer from SSS, it would be a mistake. SSS is associated to urethane binder, which was a high-end material back then, hence its widespread in high end tape and its rarity in amateur (non-back-coated) tape. Needless to say, urethane is not used any more.

oldvinyldude said:

Pre recorded commercial tapes were never recorded on back coated tape, again, if I am not mistaken.

I have never seen anyone post an issue of SSS with pre recorded tapes, and I have not experienced it.

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Same reason: prerecorded tapes were made in fairly basic consumer tape, which happened (1) not to be back-coated, and (2) not to containe urethane.

I communicated with my friend about how he would find and order the hard to find new vinyl back in the 70's and 80's and he said he would make calls and don't remember having a catalog to look up titles that would also list format options. I still think there had to be some type of catalog for companies such as Tower Records to place orders from distributors that would show whats R2R's were available. I do have a link for a list I found online (I am not affiliated with this site). http://hoknescomics.com/reellast.htm

I emailed the site and got a reply and there is also a ebook on this subject. It's on eBay for $39.00 bucks, but I'm not sure if I plan to push too deep into investing in reels! $39.00 bucks is not much, so I may see what it has to say...anyone checked out this ebook (REEL TO REEL 2014 Price Guide Book Index to rare and valuable Music Reel's)? Again I'm not affiliated with this, but I am curious about this subject.