Akai GX-635D Open Reel Tape Deck — Professionally Serviced / Custom Wood  Panels/ Multi Voltage / Original Box

Offered here is an exceptionally beautiful example of the highly regarded Akai GX-635D 4-track stereo reel-to-reel tape deck, professionally serviced, thoroughly tested, and upgraded with custom solid rosewood burl side panels and mild green LED meter illumination.

Even before the upgrades, this was one of the finest-looking GX-635Ds we have encountered. The brushed aluminum faceplate, controls, reel tables, transport assembly, and other visible surfaces present extremely well, while the custom piano-finish rosewood burl side panels transform an already handsome machine into something genuinely striking. The subtle green LED illumination complements the classic Akai styling beautifully without overpowering it.

Condition, Service & Testing

This GX-635D was professionally serviced by a qualified technician. Service included:

• Thorough cleaning, flushing, lubrication, and testing of controls and moving parts

• Operational testing of the transport and electronic functions
• Verification of recording and playback operation

All functions have been tested and passed. The machine is operating perfectly and is expected to provide reliable long-term service.

As with any vintage electronic component approaching half a century of age, no unlimited guarantee of future performance can reasonably be made, but this example has received the inspection, service, and testing we want to see before offering a high-quality vintage tape deck for sale.

Upgrades

The original meter illumination has been upgraded with mild green LEDs, giving the two large VU meters an attractive, distinctive appearance, along with cooler operation temperature and longer life.

The original-style side panels have been replaced with custom solid rosewood burl panels finished to a deep piano gloss. The figuring and depth of the wood are particularly impressive in person and give this machine a unique appearance while remaining entirely sympathetic to its late-1970s design.

Please examine the photographs closely. They form an important part of the description and show the excellent cosmetic condition of the actual machine being offered.

Original Factory Packaging

A particularly desirable feature of this example is its surviving original Akai factory foam suspension system and double-walled shipping carton.

Both the carton and foam inserts have accumulated significant wear during their many decades of existence, as shown clearly in the photographs, but the original fitted suspension pieces remain with the machine.

We will not ship the deck using the vintage carton alone. The complete original factory-packed unit will be carefully protected and packed inside a new heavy-duty double-walled outer shipping carton, with additional cushioning as necessary. This preserves the original packaging while providing substantially greater protection during modern carrier handling.

Worldwide Shipping / Local Pickup

Worldwide shipping is available, as is local pickup.

Please be aware that this is a large, heavy, delicate vintage machine. The GX-635D itself weighs approximately 46.4 lb / 21 kg before packing, and the finished double-boxed shipment will be considerably larger and heavier.

International shipping in particular can therefore represent a significant expense.

The shipment will be insured for its full value through Secursus. Buyers outside the United States are responsible for any applicable import duties, taxes, brokerage charges, or other destination-country fees.

About the Akai GX-635D

Introduced around the end of the 1970s, the GX-635D was one of Akai's substantial large-reel auto-reverse decks and remains a highly desirable machine among reel-to-reel enthusiasts.

It is a 4-track, 2-channel stereo/monaural deck capable of accepting reels up to 10.5 inches and operating at 3¾ and 7½ inches per second. The transport uses three motors: a dedicated AC servo capstan motor and two AC eddy-current reel motors.

One of the GX-635D's defining features is its six-head arrangement: two GX recording heads, two GX playback heads, and two erase heads. This configuration supports recording and playback in both tape directions and forms the basis of the machine's auto-reverse operation.

The deck also incorporates Akai's GX (Glass & Crystal Ferrite) head technology, along with feather-touch logic transport controls, a real-time tape counter, pitch control, selectable reel size, tape selector, timer-start facilities, microphone and line recording controls, headphone output, and separate output-level control.

Factory Specifications

Track system: 4-track, 2-channel stereo/monaural
Operation: Auto-reverse recording/playback
Maximum reel size: 10.5 in / 27 cm
Tape speeds: 3¾ and 7½ ips (9.5 and 19 cm/s)
Pitch control: Greater than ±6%

Heads:
2 × GX recording heads
2 × GX playback heads
2 × erase heads

Motors:
1 × AC servo capstan motor
2 × AC eddy-current reel motors

Wow & flutter:
Less than 0.03% WRMS at 7½ ips
Less than 0.04% WRMS at 3¾ ips

Frequency response:
30 Hz–27 kHz ±3 dB at 7½ ips with WR tape
30 Hz–21 kHz ±3 dB at 3¾ ips with WR tape
30 Hz–25 kHz ±3 dB at 7½ ips with LN tape
30 Hz–19 kHz ±3 dB at 3¾ ips with LN tape

Signal-to-noise ratio: Better than 62 dB
Harmonic distortion: Less than 0.5% at 1 kHz, 0 VU
Erase ratio: Better than 70 dB at 1 kHz
Crosstalk: Better than 40 dB at 1 kHz
Channel separation: Better than 55 dB at 1 kHz
Bias frequency: 100 kHz

Real-time counter: Up to 99 minutes, 59 seconds
Fast-forward / rewind time: Approximately 120 seconds with 1,800 ft / 550 m tape

Line input: 70 mV / 100 kΩ
Microphone input: 0.25 mV
Line output: 0.775 V at 0 VU
Headphone output: 100 mV / 8 Ω
DIN: Input and output provided

Dimensions: Approximately 17.4 W × 19.0 H × 10.1 D in
(440 × 483 × 256 mm)

Weight: Approximately 46.4 lb / 21 kg

Factory specifications are taken from Akai technical documentation for the GX-635D.

Power Configuration

This particular machine is the multi-voltage version. The rear panel is marked:

AC 110 / 120 / 220 / 240 V — 50/60 Hz

The photographed voltage indicator presently shows the machine configured for 110 V / 60 Hz.

Akai documentation confirms that the multi-voltage GX-635D version can be internally configured for 110, 120, 220, or 240 volts and for 50/60 Hz operation. Voltage/frequency conversion involves internal settings and, depending upon voltage, the appropriate fuse; this should therefore be performed only by someone familiar with the machine or by a qualified technician.

For international buyers, please do not simply connect the machine to local mains power without first confirming that it is correctly configured for your country's voltage and frequency.

The Akai GX-635D combines the visual drama of a large 10.5-inch reel machine with a sophisticated three-motor, six-head auto-reverse transport and Akai's celebrated GX head technology. This particular example adds professional servicing, exceptionally clean cosmetics, custom piano-finish solid rosewood burl side panels, upgraded green meter illumination, multi-voltage capability, and the rare survival of its original factory carton and fitted foam suspensions.

A beautiful and unusually complete example of one of Akai's classic large-format open reel decks.