One of the first Ampex 300 Recording Machines from Ampex’s original office in San Carlos, California. Established by Russian inventor Alexander Matthew Poniatoff, the Ampex Electric and Manufacturing Company (as it was originally known) began as a small company that produced high-quality electric motors and generators for radars during World War II. After the war, Poniatoff and his team began to shift their focus to recording devices. Ampex eventually revolutionized the radio and recording industries due to the superior audio quality of their machines and their subsequent ease of operation. In fact, the first two units of its initial tape recorder – the Ampex Model 200A – were used exclusively by ABC to record and broadcast The Bing Crosby Show. Les, a personal friend of Bing’s and often a guest on his show, became familiarized with Ampex machines through this connection and immediately began to experiment with recordings. This Ampex Model 300 was one of six or seven used in Les’ personal recording studio during the mid-1950’s in his home in Mahwah, New Jersey. Les used the Ampex in the editing of his recordings so frequently that the right reel is scratched from the razor used to cut the tape. The machine was used to exhaustion and no longer works, but the evidence of Les’ constant use during recordings and experiments makes it a significant piece of memorabilia for both the Les Paul fan and those highly interested in the history of recorded sound technology.

Dimensions: 36 ¼” x 25” x 26”