About the Company
Crestwood — U.S. Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Deck Brand
Brand: Crestwood
Manufacturer: Daystrom Electric Corp. (Crestwood Recorder Division)
Country: United States (Poughkeepsie, New York)
Active Period: Early 1950s – mid‑1950s
Market: Consumer / home audio reel‑to‑reel recorders
Technology: Tube (valve) electronics transitioning later toward basic solid‑state components
Crestwood was a brand used by the U.S. company Daystrom Electric Corp. for its family of consumer reel‑to‑reel tape recorders in the early commercial era of magnetic tape recording — before solid‑state electronics and Japanese manufacturers began dominating the market.
Origins & Company
Daystrom Electric Corp. was an American electronics firm based in Poughkeepsie, New York, that among other products manufactured tape recorders under the Crestwood marque in the 1950s. Crestwood decks appeared alongside other early‑generation tape recorders and were marketed toward home users and hobbyists rather than studios or broadcasters.
The company’s involvement in tape recorder production was in line with a broader surge in consumer interest in magnetic recording in the early 1950s. Early decks like these were tube‑powered, relatively heavy, and used basic open‑reel transport mechanisms with selectable speeds.
Key Crestwood Reel‑to‑Reel Models
Crestwood CP‑201 (c. 1950)
One of the earliest Crestwood machines, designed for 7″ reels with two‑track mono recording on standard ¼″ tape.
Used tube electronics typical of the period.
Details show a consumer tabletop recorder with AC mains power and built‑in amplification.
Crestwood 303 (c. 1953–1956)
Category: Portable/tabletop reel‑to‑reel recorder
Electronics: Tube design, integrated loudspeaker (~10 W)
Speeds: 3¾ & 7½ ips
Reel Size: Up to 7″
Features: Push‑button controls, fast forward/reverse, external speaker jack.
Shared transport mechanism with the higher‑end Crestwood Series 400.
Crestwood 401 / 402 (c. 1953–1956)
A pair system where the 401 was the tape transport and electronics and the separate 402 served as the matching amplifier/speaker unit.
Typical specs include full‑track mono, 3¾ and 7½ ips speeds, and modest audio performance by later standards.
Frequency response at 7½ ips was reported around 40 Hz–12 kHz, with ~0.5 % wow & flutter.
Crestwood 404 (c. 1955–1956)
A slightly later model in the Series 400 family, also made by Daystrom.
Designed as a standalone reel recorder with typical dual‑speed operation and inputs for mic/radio/phono plus a tone control and headphone output.
Shows early transitions toward more user‑friendly controls while still being tube‑based.
Technical & Market Position
Technology:
Crestwood decks used vacuum‑tube electronics, typical of early 1950s designs, with multi‑stage amplifiers, built‑in speakers (or companion cabinets), and push‑button transport controls. Speeds of 3¾ ips (standard consumer speed) and 7½ ips (higher fidelity) were common.
Features & Performance:
Mono (two‑track) configuration was standard, not stereo.
Frequency response and noise figures were modest (~40 Hz–12 kHz), competitive with other consumer decks of the era but not high‑fidelity by later hi‑fi standards.
These machines were relatively heavy and utilitarian, aimed at home recording/playback rather than professional use.
Market Role:
Crestwood decks appeared during a phase when many U.S. electronics producers were experimenting with magnetic tape products for consumers. They were part of a generation of early open‑reel recorders that helped bring tape recording into domestic settings, though they were quickly outpaced by cheaper Japanese solid‑state designs starting in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Decline & Legacy
By the late 1950s, many early U.S. consumer tape deck makers like Crestwood had faded from the market as:
Japanese manufacturers introduced more reliable and more affordable transistor‑based decks.
Larger consumer audio firms began to standardize features like stereo and solid‑state electronics.
Brands with broader distribution and dealer networks (e.g., Akai, Sony, Teac) began supplanting early American tube brands.
Crestwood reel‑to‑reel models are rare and collectible today as artifacts of the early tape recorder era, illustrating how open reel technology was introduced to the home audio market in the 1950s.