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[standup]

Other folks are suggesting 8 track reel to reel--I suggest 4 track. Half inch, 15 inches per second. That will get you some good tape sound.

If you want lo-fi, get a cheap cassette deck, not a 4-track cassette.

Go to ebay, look at Tascam, Sony, MCI, Scully, TEAC see what's around. Should be cheap. Get a 3-head machine NOT 2 heads, and learn how to align it. 2-head machines are much harder to align.

And don't just record guitars with it--think about drums too.

I'm a cheapskate dude recording friends in my house. I did 4 track cassette in the 80s, reel to reel in the 90s,  and I'm using a computer in the 00s. I decided that cheap digital sounds better than cheap analog, and I wasan't doing the maintenance well enough (aligning a 1/2" 16 track 2 head machine is a pain in the ass) to keep it.  Besides, I can fix computer problems more easily than mechanical/electronic problems.

But if you have the commitment to go for the 1/2 inch 3-head four track thing, it will sound good--not like cheap analog.

[John Ivan]

Hi all:

I'm back from a road trip. I couldn't get to a computer.

Yeah, I have an Ampex 440-B 1/2" 4- Track that I LOVE. This machine is in fine shape and I have a spare deck that I want to convert to 1/2" 2-Track. These machines are a good deal and you can still find them around.