About the Company
Masco was a brand name used by the Mark Simpson Manufacturing Company, Inc., based in Long Island City, New York, USA. The company was active especially in the 1940s–1950s, known for vacuum-tube audio equipment including public-address amplifiers and tape recorders. Masco is an acronym tied to its corporate name and was a participant in the post-World War II boom of consumer audio gear.
The company’s reel-to-reel tape recorders were produced mainly during the early 1950s through the late 1950s, at a time when domestic tape recording was still transitioning from professional/industrial use into kitchens and living rooms.
Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorder Production
Late 1940s – Early 1950s: Start of Production
Masco reel recorders appeared by about 1950, coinciding with the early days of consumer tape technology in the U.S., when vacuum-tube circuits were still the norm in audio electronics.
These early machines were designed primarily for home and amateur use — not professional studios — and reflected the robust but simple engineering of the era.
Key Models & Characteristics
Masco tape recorders were typically tube-based, mono, open-reel machines with limited speeds and simple features typical of early consumer decks:
Masco 375 / 375R (c. 1950–1953)
One of the earliest Masco tape recorders, a tube-based deck intended for basic magnetic recording.
Operated at 7½ ips (and in some instruments also limited to that speed).
Often integrated with radio-phonograph functions for home entertainment.
Masco 52 / 52 Sound & Variants (c. 1953)
A dual-track, dual-speed recorder with speeds 3¾ and 7½ ips, capable of recording and playback on ½″ tape.
Built-in internal speaker plus external outputs; multiple models (e.g., 52, 52R, 52L) carried similar specs with case or input variations.
Permalloy heads with two motors for stability.
Masco 53 (c. 1953–1956)
A higher-end domestic machine with dual speeds (3¾ & 7½ ips), two-head design, and fuller frequency range typical of mid-1950s home decks.
Built-in amplifier with multiple inputs and outputs for microphone, radio/phonograph, and external speaker/amplifier.
Masco 500 (c. 1955–1958)
A follow-up domestic recorder with half-track mono operation at standard consumer speeds (3¾ and 7½ ips), twin neon level indicators, positive braking, and fast forward/rewind features.
Had luggage-style leatherette covering and came with accessories like an empty take-up reel and microphones.
(*Masco also appears in vintage service manual listings alongside various “D-37” and “LD-37” chassis variants from the same era, indicating a broader but not well documented lineup.)
Technology & Features
Electronics:
Designed around vacuum tubes (valves) — typical consumer audio tech of the 1950s.
Usually moderate audio fidelity by later standards, focused on practical recording and playback.
Tape Transport:
Open-reel, two-track or dual-speed mechanism.
Speeds generally 3¾ ips (consumer) and 7½ ips (higher fidelity).
Permalloy heads for basic recording quality.
Design & Market Focus:
Masco aimed at the mid-century home or amateur market rather than prosumer or studio use.
Machines were desktop/tabletop models with internal speakers and basic controls.
End of Production & Legacy
By the late 1950s, the consumer audio landscape was shifting: transistorization, higher-fidelity decks, and emerging Japanese imports began to outpace early U.S. tube-based designs. Masco’s tape recorder production appears to have ceased by about 1958, with no significant documented models beyond that point.
After that shift, the company’s main historical footprint continued more in PA equipment and vacuum-tube amplifiers rather than magnetic tape decks.