ampex 354? some questions

[mcdodgy]

found two of these in my mates shed, i believe they are ampex 354 units...

What were these units used for? do they have potential as stereo preamps? if so are they worth the fuss? any info is good at this stage

cheers for your time

Flickr: mcdodgy's Photostream

[HollowState]

Actually this electronice is from an Ampex PR-10 portable recorder. This was a belt driven single motor transport, and a real dog mechanically. The transport, with different electronics, was once used by General Radio for one of their instrumention recorders. But since the electronics (yours) is tube based, it could be mated up with other Ampex transports that used high impedance heads. The EQ circuits were only good for 7½ and 3¾ IPS unless modified. To use as a stand alone microphone or line amplifier it should work well. But it was never as popular as the 351 series electronics that has become a coveted cult item on eBay because some rock band (forget who) was seen using them. And this is crazy because they're only a 12AX7 cascade stage with an input matching transformer very much like yours. If things are original, you might even find an Amperex or Telefunken 12AX7 as the input tube.

[mcdodgy]

cheers dude that was very helpful, do you ever find the Ampex PR-10 recorders in use today?

[HollowState]

Originally Posted by mcdodgy

cheers dude that was very helpful, do you ever find the Ampex PR-10 recorders in use today?

I say no because they are not popular at all. IMO it was one of Ampex's flops. There are three rubber belts that become stretched, soft and very gummy leaving a real mess inside. Replacements are scarce and the deck just isn't worth it. But the electronics is ok, although somewhat crowded inside.