Bell T-337 Reel to Reel Restoration

After a long search, I recently was able to find a Bell TRW reel to reel tape deck that matched my Bell TRW 2420 amplifier and 2421 receiver. This model appears to be a T-337.

Unfortunately, the device was in bad shape and arrived in even worse condition after being dropped on my driveway by the delivery man. I have some serious concerns with the unit, both cosmetic and electrical:

• missing head cover
• missing control cover plate
• missing reel retainers
• missing all tubes
• original capacitors

Not to mention, the dirty, hardened rubber everywhere, the strong smell of what I would presume is a blown selenium rectifier, and bent chassis from the driveway drop.

This is going a long rehabilitation and I will go step by step in a series of blog posts. Typically, I use these posts to track my progress, retain reference photos, and document my understanding of a circuit for my own later reference and maintenance. But, I hope that someone else may find my work useful to restore their own reel to reel player. If you do, please leave a comment. I would love to see your project!

Bell TRW 2420 Amplifier Parts Cross Reference

Here is a list of modern parts replacements I have used on the Bell TRW 2420:

ITEM No.	Bell Part No.	Description	Modern Replacement	Notes
C1	ASTRON 23B87	40/40/20 @ 450V Electrolytic Capacitor	CE Manuf. C-EC4020X2-525	Higher voltage rating, extra 20μf capacitor. Same pin order.
C43	RMC .02 Z5U	.02μf Ceramic Capacitor	RIFA PME 265 MB	Y2 Rated Safety Capacitor ensures fail open so that chassis cannot be hot.

Bell TRW Audio Blog Debut

This blog is dedicated to setup, repair, and maintenance of vintage audio equipment, with a special focus on Bell Sound/Bell TRW component systems. I will be using it to record my projects, experiments, and discoveries. Hopefully, I can help some other people along the way.