About the Company
Ampro — Early Consumer Reel-to-Reel Tape Deck Manufacturer
Brand: Ampro Corporation
Founder: Axel Monson (born in Sweden, early U.S. immigrant entrepreneur)
Active in Tape Decks: Early 1950s to late 1950s
Primary Market: Consumer reel-to-reel tape recorders
Technology: Tube-based electronics
Manufacturing: United Kingdom for tape decks (designed for the U.S. and export markets)
Ampro was originally a producer of projectors and motion-picture equipment before entering the reel-to-reel tape recorder market in the early 1950s. The brand name Ampro was coined from Axel Monson Products, and the company leveraged its existing audio-visual heritage to promote tape recorders as a way of adding sound to silent 8 mm and 16 mm film and for everyday home audio use.
Production Timeline
Early 1950s — Brand Launch
Ampro first appears selling consumer reel-to-reel tape recorders around 1951–1952. Ads from the period promoted machines as the “World’s Lowest Priced Tape Recorder,” aimed at everyday household recording of family events and entertainment.
1952–1955 — Entry-Level Machines
Ampro 731 — A simple single-speed (3 ¾ ips) full-track mono recorder with two heads and a 7″ reel capacity. It was among the earliest Ampro tape decks, built for straightforward recording and playback.
Mid-1950s — Expanded Dual-Speed Decks
Ampro 757 “Hi-Fi 2-Speed” — Introduced in 1954, this model offered two speeds (3 ¾ and 7 ½ ips) and a two-speaker system with crossover networks — significant for the era. It featured tube electronics and electromagnetic push-button controls.
Ampro 758 — In 1957, the 758 succeeded the 757 with a cosmetic facelift and added features like an automatic selection locator and monitoring functions. A 758-T variant included a built-in AM tuner, and a 758-S Stereophonic version added an extra playback head for stereo capability — an early nod toward stereo tape playback.
Ampro 745 “Career” — Produced 1955–1958, this model was a portable, dual-speed, dual-track deck with speakers and tone control, aimed at broader home use.
Late 1950s — End of Tape Deck Production
By circa 1957–1958, Ampro’s reel-to-reel tape recorder production ceased; no further consumer deck ads or documented models appear after this period. The brand’s audio focus shifted as its corporate structure changed and its parent company was absorbed into larger industrial conglomerates.
Technical & Market Context
Tube Electronics: All of Ampro’s tape decks used vacuum-tube circuitry, typical of consumer machines of the 1950s before transistor technology became widespread.
Speeds & Heads: Machines ranged from single-speed full-track decks to dual-speed models with full-track or half-track configurations. Later models introduced stereo playback capabilities.
Positioning: Ampro targeted the mid-range consumer market — affordable reel-to-reel machines for home entertainment and recording, rather than the professional or broadcast tiers dominated by Ampex, Magnecord, or Studer.
Company Background & Legacy
Ampro Corporation was founded by Axel Monson (1883–1971), who had developed magnetic projectors and related audio-visual equipment before the tape era. The company at one point employed hundreds of workers in Chicago and later moved some production to Rochester, New York when its parent (General Precision Equipment Corp.) acquired other businesses in the mid-1950s. Despite a strong start and early marketing, Ampro stopped advertising and selling tape recorders after about 1958, possibly due to rising competition and shifting corporate priorities.
After the end of its tape recorder line, the Ampro name faded from consumer audio and was not associated with later magnetic tape evolutions. Its early machines now survive in vintage audio collections and enthusiast registries as examples of the first generation of home tape recorders.
Representative Models
Ampro 7311 1952–1955 Full-track mono Single speed 3 ¾ ips, tube electronics.
Ampro 757 1954–1957 Dual speed tube deck 3 ¾/7 ½ ips, two-speaker system.
Ampro 758 1957 Dual speed “Hi-Fi” Auto selection locator, stereo variant
Ampro 745 1955–1958 Consumer portable Dual speed/two-track, tone control
Summary
Ampro was an **American-branded consumer reel-to-reel tape recorder maker active mostly in the 1950s. Its machines were designed for home use, used tube electronics, and evolved from simple single-speed models to more elaborate dual-speed decks with stereo options and built-in features. Production appears to have ended by the late 1950s, and the company’s tape deck legacy now survives mainly through vintage collector interest rather than ongoing product lines.