About the Company
Steelman Phonograph & Radio Company produced portable reel-to-reel tape recorders in the late 1950s, transitioning from vacuum tube to early transistor designs for consumer use.
Company background
Based in Mount Vernon, New York, Steelman focused on affordable phonographs, radios, and portable audio before entering tape recorders around 1955–1959, sourcing some manufacturing from Japan.
Early tube portables
The company's initial models used miniature vacuum tubes for lighter weight and portability compared to bulky 1940s recorders, targeting hobbyists and field users rather than studio work.
Transistor era and Transitape
By 1959, Steelman released the Transitape, claimed as one of the first transistorized reel-to-reel recorders with AC bias, emphasizing battery operation, compact size, and ease of carry for dictation or casual recording.
Production scope
Output was limited to consumer portables (likely single- or dual-track, quarter-inch tape, small reels), ending by the early 1960s as Japanese brands dominated; no studio or hi-fi console lines developed.
Historical role
Steelman bridged tube portability to transistor convenience during tape's consumer boom, now rare examples of American transitional engineering before full Japanese market takeover.