Other · Tier D

Reel-to-Reel Decks & Vintage Mics

Three heads and three motors is the audiophile line — Teac, Akai, Pioneer and Revox decks above it sell for hundreds even unserviced.

Cu 25–40 g/lbBase Alnico magnets in mics and monitorsAu trace

eBay typical$40–400per lb

Refiner pays$0.12per lb

Metal in it$0.73per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencelowof the yield figures

How to spot it

Reel decks: Teac A/X series, Akai GX (glass heads — premium), Pioneer RT, Sony TC, Revox A77/B77, Tandberg. Mics: ribbon (RCA 44/77 — four figures), dynamic (EV RE20, Shure SM/545 lineage, Unidyne), crystal Astatic for harp players. Vintage JBL/Altec/EV drivers with Alnico magnets ride along.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Copper	25–40 g/lb	Three-motor decks: two reel motors, capstan motor, transformer, head coils
Base metal	Alnico magnets in mics and monitors	Ribbon and dynamic mic magnets plus vintage speaker drivers
Gold	trace	Head faces are metal alloy, not gold, despite the shine

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $0.73 per lb of contained metal — Gold 0.003 g = $0.39, Copper 32 g = $0.34. A refiner paying $0.12 per lb returns about 16% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: No heat needed — mechanical teardown only

Resale first, always. True scrap decks: motors and transformer to copper, heads desolder and sell separately (GX glass heads $30–100), Alnico speakers and mic magnets whole to builders. Ribbon mics are never scrap in any condition.

Hazards

⚡ Stored high voltage

NEVER short a large capacitor with a screwdriver. It welds the tip, blasts molten metal at your face, and can rupture the can.

☠ Lead — dust more than fume

NEVER dry sweep or use compressed air on a scrapping bench. HEPA-vac or wet-wipe only.

🧲 Neodymium magnets

Don't let two magnet plates snap together across your fingers.

Before you scrap it

Working three-motor decks $200–1,500, Revox/Studer more, GX heads and parts strong, ribbon mics $300–5,000, EV RE20 $150–300, Alnico drivers $50–400/pair. This category is a resale business with a copper by-product.

The common trap

An RCA ribbon mic in a junk box is a $1,000–5,000 find and looks like a rusty Art-Deco doorstop. Broken Revox and Akai GX decks sell for parts at $100–300. The heads people polish hoping for gold are permalloy and ferrite — shiny, worthless as metal, valuable as spares.

Questions

How much gold is in reel-to-reel decks & vintage mics?

Copper: 25–40 g/lb. Gold: trace. At current spot that is about $0.73 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify reel-to-reel decks & vintage mics?

Three heads and three motors is the audiophile line — Teac, Akai, Pioneer and Revox decks above it sell for hundreds even unserviced.

How do you remove reel-to-reel decks & vintage mics safely?

Is reel-to-reel decks & vintage mics worth more working than as scrap?

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