Grundig Cub
Grundig
Germany
Tape Deck Details
Number of Motors
1
Number of Heads
2
Head Configuration
Half-track mono
Wow & Flutter
0.4%
Signal-to-Noise [dB]
40
Dimensions [mm]
280 × 90 × 165
Weight [kg]
4
Year built
1958–1960
Head Composition
Permalloy
Equalization
IEC
Frequency Response
100–6,000 Hz
Speed
3¾
Max Reel [inch]
3
Tracks
1/2 Rec/PB
Price
User
Consumer
Additional Information
The Grundig Cub is a compact, portable mono reel-to-reel tape recorder from the late 1950s, emphasizing battery operation and simplicity for dictation or basic home recording in a lightweight plastic-cased design.
Basic Concept
Introduced around 1958–1960 by Grundig Ltd. (UK/Germany export); predecessor to TK1, weighing ~3–4 kg with batteries.
Single speed: 9.53 cm/s (3¾ ips); half-track mono; small 3-inch reels standard.
Power: batteries (4–6 cells) or AC mains adapter; built-in speaker for monitoring.
Transport Mechanics
Rim-drive single motor; basic felt-pad tension; push-button controls with mechanical interlock.
Portable plastic case (280 × 90 × 165 mm approx.); horizontal use only.
Auto-stop at tape end; manual rewind.
Heads and Electronics
2 heads: dual-purpose record/play + erase.
Early transistor amp (4–5 transistors); AC bias ~40 kHz; basic tone control.
Mic-focused inputs; minimal metering (no magic-eye like successor).