About the Company
Stemco Electronics Corp. was a short-lived American manufacturer based in Redwood City, California, that produced high-end reel-to-reel tape recorders in the early 1950s, distributed through United Research Laboratory in New York City.
Company and market positioning
Stemco targeted the premium consumer and semi-professional market with very expensive machines during the nascent U.S. domestic tape era, before Japanese and established brands like Ampex dominated.
These were among the first wave of American open-reel recorders post-WWII, emphasizing quality over mass production.
Documented (Proposed) Model Lineup
According to archived references from collector directories, Stemco planned or produced a small series of expensive recorder designs — many of which may have been prototypes or extremely limited production rather than mass-produced units:
Model Examples (Early 1950s)
500-1 (¼″ Full/Half Track) — Speeds: 3¾–7½ & 7½–15 ips; portable and console variants. Approx. price $2,035–$2,245.
500-2 (¼″ 2-Track) — Speeds: 3¾–7½ & 7½–15 ips; portable/console. Approx. $2,755–$2,915.
500-4 (½″ 4-Channel) — Speeds: 3¾–7½ & 7½–15 ips; 4 channels. Approx. $4,150–$4,380.
800-4 (½″ 4-Channel) — Speeds: 3¾–7½ & 7½–15 ips; higher-end 4-channel. Approx. $5,275–$5,790.
800-8 (1″ 8-Channel) — Speeds: 3¾–7½ & 7½–15 ips; 8-channel. Approx. $9,650–$10,360.
Notes:
These prices reflect very high costs for the early 1950s (equivalent to several tens of thousands today).
Many such models might not have reached wide distribution; collector sources note they were planned or possibly made, but actual surviving units are very rare.
Production characteristics
Stemco decks used vacuum-tube electronics typical of 1950s designs, likely quarter-inch tape with standard speeds (3¾/7½ ips) for home hi-fi or light studio use.
Timeframe and scale
Active only briefly in the early 1950s, Stemco's output was low-volume, reflecting the high-risk transition from wire/disc recording to tape before market maturity.
The company quickly faded as production scaled and competition intensified by mid-decade.
Historical role
Stemco exemplifies pioneering U.S. boutique makers bridging military-derived tape tech to civilian luxury markets, now extremely rare and undocumented beyond specialist directories—valued by collectors for scarcity rather than technical innovation.