Philips EL3509

The Philips EL3509 is a rare late‑1950s professional reel‑to‑reel recorder from Philips’ small broadcast lineup, closely related in appearance and concept to the EL3505 but modernized with solid‑state electronics and IEC equalization.

Role and position in the range

• Intended for studio/broadcast use, not domestic hi‑fi, and built in the Netherlands.​

• Sits alongside other Philips pro decks such as the EL3501, EL3503, and EL3505; period documentation notes that Philips made relatively few machines in this professional class, with the EL3509 explicitly named among them.​

Tape transport and format

• Tape width: ¼‑inch open reel.

• Track format: ½‑track mono record/playback (1/2 Rec/PB) for higher signal‑to‑noise and lower crosstalk than quarter‑track; aimed at broadcast masters rather than consumer economy.​

• Maximum reel size: 10.5‑inch reels or larger (10.5+"), making it suitable for long‑duration program reels on NAB/AEG hubs.​

Mechanics, heads, and electronics

• Heads: 3‑head configuration – separate erase, record, and playback heads – allowing off‑tape monitoring and more precise alignment during production work.​

• Motors: 3 motors, typically one capstan motor and two independent reel motors, giving better tape handling and faster, more controlled winding than single‑motor domestic designs.​

• Electronics: described as solid state, so unlike earlier EL35xx broadcast decks that were valve‑based, the EL3509 uses transistor electronics while retaining a robust mechanical transport.​

• Equalization: IEC standard EQ, aligning it with contemporary professional practice and making tapes more interchangeable with other studio machines using IEC curves.​

Application and characteristics

• Category: “Vintage / Studio” recorder, reflecting both its age and intended use in professional environments rather than home listening.​

• Informal ratings in vintage databases give it a sound‑quality score around 6/10 and long‑term reliability about 7/10, suggesting competent but not state‑of‑the‑art sonics by modern standards, with fairly robust build but typical aging issues (caps, mechanics) to address in restoration.​

In essence, the EL3509 is a solid‑state, 3‑motor, 3‑head, ½‑track mono studio machine taking 10.5‑inch reels, notable as one of the few true professional open‑reel recorders Philips produced, and mechanically akin to the EL3505 but updated for the transistor era and IEC alignment.