About the Company
GBG (often written G.B.G) was a French brand of reel-to-reel audio tape recorders manufactured in France for the consumer market, mostly during the 1960s era of solid-state home audio equipment.
Brand: GBG / G.B.G
Country: France (manufactured)
Product Type: Consumer reel-to-reel tape recorders (“magnétophones”)
Technology: Solid-state transistor electronics, typical for consumer decks of the period
Tracks: Typically 2-track record/playback format
Voltage: Designed for European mains supply (220–240 V)
Because GBG was a relatively minor player and not a large exporter like Akai, Philips, or Sony, the brand’s public documentation is sparse, and it’s mostly known from enthusiast and collector listings rather than detailed corporate records.
Known Models
GBG “Stenostor” Series (c.1960s)
One of the principal documented GBG devices is the GBG Stenostor — a solid-state reel recorder with a compact table-top form factor and simple “4-button” control layout.
These recorders could accept small reels (often up to about 5″ / 13 cm diameter) and include a built-in speaker, making them typical entry-level home recorders of the era.
Build materials included leatherette-covered wood/plastic cabinets typical of 1960s consumer audio equipment.
Specific model years aren’t widely published, but the Stenostor and similar GBG units are generally dated to the mid- to late-1960s based on styling and electronics (transistors rather than vacuum tubes).
Market Position
GBG’s reel-to-reel products were aimed at home consumers rather than professional audio markets, roughly aligning with other European portable or table-top recorders of the period. These machines typically:
Offered basic record/playback with standard quarter-track heads (mono or stereo depending on the model)
Used solid-state transistor circuits, reflecting the industry shift away from vacuum tubes during the 1960s
Were sold primarily within France and nearby European countries rather than globally
Because GBG was not a volume manufacturer on the scale of Philips, Sony, or TEAC, it didn’t establish a long product lineage, and few models are documented beyond basic listings in collector databases.
Decline & Legacy
Like many smaller consumer tape recorder brands, GBG’s presence faded as:
Compact cassette technology (introduced in the 1960s) rapidly replaced open-reel for most home use.
Larger manufacturers dominated the consumer market with better-supported products and service.
As a result, GBG reel-to-reel machines remain rare and are principally of interest to vintage audio collectors and regional enthusiasts, rather than widely recognized in general hi-fi histories.
Summary
GBG reel-to-reel history at a glance:
French consumer reel-to-reel brand active primarily in the 1960s.
Products: Solid-state tape recorders such as the GBG Stenostor.
Market: Home audio; basic consumer machines.
Production & Legacy: Limited documented production; primarily of regional historical interest.