I had this Sony reel to reel that I bought through a friend in the Army PX, and I loved it for years until it broke and was badly repaired. I had used it to make mix tapes from LP's. My friends had lesser decks and did the same.
Those days are over for sure. I can do everything with digital, and all of the reel to reel gear and tapes have become unaffordable It's still a wonderful memory. That was a beautiful and elegant auto reverse deck!