About the Company
Plessey was a British electronics, defence, and telecommunications company founded in 1917 in Ilford, England. It became a major electronics supplier — especially in telecom and defence — but was not primarily known as a global consumer tape recorder maker like Sony or Akai.
However, in the 1960s–1970s, Plessey Electronics (especially in Australia) did produce or market reel‑to‑reel tape recorders, both in the consumer/professional spaces and by inheriting existing designs from prior companies.
Production History & Context
Company Background
Founded: 1917 in the UK, originally as a mechanical/electrical manufacturer.
Core focus: Telecom equipment, defence electronics, test gear — not mainstream audio consumer electronics.
Reel recorder involvement: Resulted from acquisitions and overseas operations rather than a central audio division.
Tape Recorders Under the Plessey Name
Australian Operations (1960s–1970s)
The main reel‑to‑reel activity under the Plessey Electronics brand appears to have been based in Australia, where the company:
Acquired or took over the Rola recorder line in the mid‑1960s, continuing usage of existing models and branding some new units under Plessey.
Sold both Rola and later Plessey‑branded tape recorders in Australia and export markets (including back into the UK on occasion).
According to vintage recorder directories, the sole confirmed Plessey reel‑to‑reel model listed is:
Plessey 707 (Australia)
Brand/Manufacturer: Plessey (produced in Australia)
Production Years: Circa 1966–1980
Category: Mid‑high fidelity reel‑to‑reel tape recorder
Electronics: Solid‑state design
Tracks: ¼ track (mono)
Tape Speeds: 7½ and 15 ips (standard for quality audio)
Reel Size: Up to 10½″
Heads: Single full‑track playback head with permalloy composition
Transport: Three motors for dependable movement
Connections: Balanced XLR and headphone outputs
The 707 was regarded as a robust, high‑quality recorder — reportedly used by institutions like the Australian Broadcasting Corporation up into the late 1970s.
Professional & Broadcast Context
In addition to the 707, other professional machines associated with the Plessey name in Australia (sometimes through prior Rola lineage) include:
Plessey/Rola 77 Mk IV: A transportable professional reel recorder with three‑head full‑track design and direct drive suited for broadcast/studio/field applications.
The 77 series evolved from earlier Byer/Rola machines and were held in high regard for reliability and tape handling before being continued by successor firms (when Plessey’s magnetic recorder interests were later sold to Consolidated Electronic Industries).
Why Plessey Isn’t Widely Known for Tape Recorders
Unlike major reel‑to‑reel brands (e.g., Revox, Akai, TEAC):
Plessey’s audio recorder production was limited in scale and geography — mostly tied to Australian manufacturing and the Rola acquisition.
The parent company’s core focus remained defence, telecom, and industrial electronics, not consumer audio product lines.
After the 1970s, Plessey’s recording equipment activities diminished as the company refocused, and part of the recorder division was sold off in the mid‑1970s/early 1980s to other firms like Consolidated Electronic Industries (CEI).