About the Company
FME (standing for Federal Manufacturing & Engineering Corp. or Federal Mfg. & Eng. Corp., often branded as F-M-E) was a short-lived American manufacturer of consumer-oriented reel-to-reel tape recorders in the mid-1950s. Based in Brooklyn, New York, the company was primarily known for cameras and photographic equipment (e.g., Federal cameras from the 1940s–1950s), but briefly entered the booming post-war magnetic tape recorder market around 1954.
FME fits into the early American consumer tape recorder scene, alongside brands like Ekotape (Webster Electric), Revere, Bell & Howell, and others producing affordable portable or tabletop units for home recording of radio, voice, or music. Unlike professional giants like Ampex, FME targeted budget-conscious buyers with moderately priced machines (around $140–$160 in 1954–1956 dollars, equivalent to roughly $1,500–$2,000 today adjusted for inflation).
Production History Overview
Active period: 1954–1958 (peak activity mid-1950s; production likely ceased by late 1950s as competition intensified from larger brands and transistor tech emerged).
Country of origin: United States (manufactured in Brooklyn, NY, by Federal Manufacturing & Engineering Corp.).
Market focus: Consumer/portable reel-to-reel tape recorders — mono, tube-based (valve), with built-in speakers and amplifiers for home use. Emphasized portability, ease of use, and value in the era when tape recording democratized from studios to living rooms.
Output scale: Low to moderate for a niche player — only a handful of models documented (2–3 main ones in vintage directories). Not mass-produced like Webcor or Revere; FME quickly exited the audio market, possibly due to limited success or focus shift back to photography.
The brand appears in 1950s tape recorder directories (e.g., 1955–1956 AudioTape directories, Hi-Fi Tape Recording magazine ads) and vintage service manuals (e.g., Photofact folders for models 37-C/47-A). It's listed among obscure U.S. manufacturers in reel-reel.com and Tapeheads.net discussions.
Key Models
Model 37-B / 37-C: Portable mono recorder (circa 1954–1956), priced around $139.95. Featured a built-in 5x7-inch elliptical speaker (4 watts output under 5% distortion), tube electronics, and basic record/playback. Often described as a "moderately priced portable" in period reviews.
Model 47-A (or FME Tape Teck 47-A in unfinished case): Two-speed design (likely 7½ and 3¾ ips), priced $159.50 (or $149.50 for deck version). Similar electrically/mechanically to 37-series but with variations like monitor outputs or cabinet options.
Variants: Some models like 37-A had hi-fi monitor jacks; 37-C/37-A noted as similar in schematics.
Today, FME recorders are quite rare collectibles — scarcer than mainstream brands, occasionally appearing on eBay, auction sites, or forums like Tapeheads.net (often needing restoration: belts, tubes, capacitors). They represent a niche footnote in American audio history, from a company better remembered for cameras than tape decks.