1950 Webster Electric "Ekotape" model 111

This is an all vacuum tube tape recorder. It has an unusual design, with the heads being on the top of the unit, and the function selector in the middle. On the lower half, there are knobs for volume, tone, and a record selector switch, and record light bulb which lights up as the volume is increased. This is how the record level was set on older tape decks. 

I found this unit at a flea market, and did a restoration on it. It pretty much worked when I got it, but right as I started using it, it started to break down. First, it stopped recording the input material to tape. Before I had time to fix that, one of the power tubes died, a 6V6. After I replaced that, the take-up hub stopped taking up, so I couldn't test it when I tried to fix the recording issue.

I was so annoyed at this point that I took a break for a month. Then, I got the take-up hub working by replacing the felt friction pad that allows the shaft of the reel to slip. And I fixed the recording issue by replacing an open wax cap that was soldered across the center of the record bulb holder, to the shaft. I also replaced the two other wax caps in the machine. It's now fully working, and sounds very nice and rich.