When Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) takes Vincent Vega (John Travolta) back to the Wallace house in Pulp Fiction, she wanders over to a stunning reel to reel tape deck and plays Urge Overkill’s – Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon.

What is it?

It’s a Teac X-2000 R (they were produced in silver or black)

What’s the low down?
The X-2000 is a three head (Erase, Record, Playback), four track, single directional recorder offering two-track stereo or mono (no auto-reverse, you have to turn the tape over yourself at the end of play/recording). It offers two tape speeds:  7-1/2 or 3-3/4 inches per second and can accept 7 or 10-1/2″ reels.

Where can I buy one?
Try Retrotech Audio based in Caterham, Surrey who ship worldwide or Retro Hifi.
Audio Jumble is The UK’s largest second-hand and vintage hi-fi event. Sunday 18th February 2018 Tonbridge, Kent.

They also come up on Ebay from time to time for around £875 to $1795 and from vintage audio dealers from $2000.

Hooked?
Similar reel to reels crop up in various films including Good Morning Vietnam, Apocalypse Now and Independence Day – there is a carefully documented website of reel to reels featured in films here>

and a dedicated website to reel to reels in general here>

Although I’d love one of these in my own living room, we have a one-in-one-out policy in place in our household at the moment due to a realisation that we seem to have accumulated no less than 9 turntables…