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History of the Binson Amplifier HiFi Company

The Early Years

Binson Hifi Amplifier Factory — Binson Amplificatori Hi Fi S. p. A., Via e. Fermi 37, Settimo Milanese, Milano, Italia. (early 1970s)

The Binson Amplifier Hi-Fi company has a long history dating way back to the mid-1940s when engineer and entrepreneur, Dr Bonfiglio Bini established the first work premises in Via Padova, 39, Milan, Italy. The company initially began manufacturing tube radios under the brand name Roberson and later extended it’s product range to include television sets under the brand name Mirason. But, in the space of just a few years, the enterprising Dr Bini had already set his sights on new horizons, redirecting Binson’s research and development effort onwards, and upwards to greater things—this time electric guitar amplification.

Towards the late 1940s Bini along with his long-standing production engineer (“Mayor of the Company”), Gaetano Nicola Scarano, began to build small guitar amplifiers. The company began to fly in 1952 when Binson introduced their first big seller, a beautiful guitar amp, called the Binson 3° (meaning Binson third; in Italian the small “o” or “a” is the equivalent of English “nd” or “rd” after a number. So Echorec 2° means Echorec 2nd). Over the course of almost half a century Dr Bini and Mr Scarano created a wide range of technically innovative audio products for musicians including reverb effect units, guitar amplifiers, mixers, P.A. speakers, keyboards (the ‘Binsonett’) and even wireless microphones (way, way ahead of its time) and, of course, their world renowned delay-echo machine, the ‘Echorec’. The scanned pages from the Binson catalogue below give an indication of just how diverse their product portfolio was.

Binson Echorec 2

Binson Echorec Export

Binson Hi-Fi Microphone

Binson Hi-Fi Preamp Mixer

Binson Hi-Fi Sound Columns

Binson Hi-Fi Speakers

Binson Hi-Fi Stereo Amplifier

Binson Instrument Amplifier

Binson Mixer Amp PA

Binson Standbooms

Binson Telemicro

Binsonett Electronic Organ

The Binson Echorec – the World’s Finest Delay

The Echorec was introduced to the market in the mid 1950s and became established as ‘The hallmark’ of technical perfection worldwide defining the sound of many players, including rock guitarists, David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and electronic musicians such as Delia Derbyshire (BBC Radiophonic Workshop) and ‘The Chemical Brothers’. The key to the success of the Binson Echorec was the “memory disc”, a superlative instance of precision engineering, that was more durable and stable then the magnetic tape transports utilised in other delay units from this period.

golden_panel_echorec_1962_320px — Early Echorec 2° with golden front panel (1962)

The first batch of Ecorec machines (spelt without an ‘h’) were manufactured around 1953/54 and it’s thought that no more than thirty units were built. The word ‘Ecorec’ is made up from the Italian word ‘eco’, meaning echo, and the first syllable of the word ‘record’. It is believed that the first Echorec (spelt with an ‘h’) in his definitive form was built around 1955 and this model was manufactured up until 1962/63.

The ‘Baby’ Binson was introduced around 1958 (though the scheme is dated March 1960) and was primarily aimed at guitar players. This model had a smaller disc, was less bulky and came with a less hefty price tag than its big brother—the retail price of the Baby was £140 in 1962. For comparison, at the time the Vox ‘AC30′ tube amp was priced at £119 and Fender ‘Stratocaster’ guitar at £160. Although the Baby Binson was a budget unit it performed almost as well as the larger Echorec units. The Baby was manufactured up until 65/66, when Bini made the decision to build only one standard drum and chassis to lower production costs instead of two. Manufacture of the smaller baby drum and chassis parts was dropped and from this point onwards the Baby was replaced by the B2 (then ‘Export’) which was a Baby with disc and chassis dimensions of its big brother.

The very first Export models, the B1S featured just one channel, which means the old-style, cream ‘car radio’ channel selector buttons are conspicuously absent from the front panel. The Baby and the Export (Sound City Echomaster 1) were the only “classic” models with four knobs, all the other models were six knob designs with twelve separate echo selections from one head alone to complex multitap effects with all four playback heads. Record level, playback and regeneration (feedback) was also adjustable. This was the standard layout for the B1, B2, T5 and T5E models. The most significant Echorec, the Echorec 2°, was introduced in 1960. The first version was fitted with a golden front panel, and then about a year later this was altered to become a black panel as seen on the majority of Echorec units. This model was the very first to offer reverb and not just delay. The Echorec was so successful that Binson also manufactured the machine for Sound City, Guild and the Italian company, EKO Guitars.

dr_bonfiglio-bini_320px — Dr Bonfiglio Bini—founder of Binson. (photo probably taken in the new factory in the early 1970s)

Dr Bini was insistent that there was no noise gate circuitry in the Echorec as this would it cut off the tails of the last, low level delay repeats—he wanted the reverb to “breathe”. Additionally there was no variable speed motor because it would have adversely affected the equalisation. The next generation of machines started with the T7E, which made it possible to obtain lush sweeping echoes and preset reverbs. This facility was available on the Echomaster 2, most of the Guild series, and the larger 19″ sized studio machines, notably the PE603 TU, which was available with tube or transistor circuitry.

These units also had the capability to playback on one selected head and feed back on another. This, coupled with the breathtaking reverbs, gave an unparalleled effect palette to the musician or engineer. A smaller Guild unit was available at this time and a full size transistor 603. Stereo units—a very rare to find with no more than 50 ever made—were also manufactured, with one motor, two jockey wheels, and two drums, with four or six heads per drum and many of their mixers had a built-in Echorec. The rack units were introduced around 1967/68 to complete their beautiful P.A. rack system. The first machines with 6 playback heads (7 heads total) were introduced in 69/70 and with the EC series, introduced in 1975, they had machines with 4, 6, 8 and even 10 playback heads! Solid-state models were introduced around 1971, but Binson manufactured the tube Echorec 2° until 1979. The EC line was introduced in 1975 and the E4T in 1979.

The Binson Factory

In the late 1950s Binson was a small company employing just half a dozen staff. Machines, such as the model T5E, were assembled and wired-up entirely by hand taking a day to complete. This meant the factory was capable of producing thirty Echorecs per month absolute maximum with the staff working flat-out around the clock. Additionally, Binson’s product portfolio was growing and international sales were on the increase. It became necessary for Binson to find larger premises to meet the demand for new orders.

Manufacturing was relocated from Via Padova in 1963, leaving head office there and a new factory was built in Via Guinizelli, Milan. The number of assembly staff more than doubled to fifteen and Franco Avona became tester and quality supervisor of the production line. Just a few years later another small factory was opened in Via Predabissi, Milan in which they built Binsonett organ.

binson_research_and_development_department_320px — The Binson research and development department at Via Padova in the 1960s. An Echorec can be seen on the right hand side of the picture.

Finally they closed both Milanese factories and relocated all deparments to a single larger premises in Settimo Milanese—a small town on the outskirts of Milan, Italy—around 1971. At this time Binson employed around 250 staff, including design, mechanical and production engineers, acoustic specialists, carpenters, assemblers, purchasing, admin and sales staff.

Dr Bini was to change the company name several more times during it’s long history, next to “Bini Valenti Amelia” (two surnames followed by a female name, Amelia). This later became “Construzioni Radio Eletttroniche Bini (C.R.E.B.)”, then “Binson S.p.A. (Società per Azioni—Italian corporate company)”, ““Construzioni Apparecchiature Elettriche (C.A.E.) [Electrical Devices Manufacturing in English]” and finally “Binson S.R.L. (Società a Responsabilità Limitata—Italian limited liability company)”.

After operating for almost four decades Binson eventually went into liquidation in the early 1980s and discontinued manufacturing operations in 1986. Perhaps, the development of cheap and compact BBD and digital delay technology played a part in Binson’s demise. Also, tube gear was falling out of fashion—even the guitar amplifier industry was shifting towards solid-state gear at this time.

Echorec Nostalgia

However, that wasn’t quite the end. The story goes that Dr. Bini still kept the factory store open from time to time so that enthusiasts, musicians and collectors could bring their own old Echorecs for qualified servicing, repair and technical support. Dr Bini and Mr Scarano would sometimes give historic tours around the closed factory facilities in their free-time in the evenings. N.O.S. (new old stock—still boxed and sealed in their original factory packaging!) Echorecs, amplifiers and mixers could still be purchased from the reservoir stock that remained from the Binsons’ heyday. Given the Italians easy-going demeanour—and healthy disrespect for rules or regulations—I can’t help but imagine a bottle or two of Chianti being enjoyed during these evening Echorec “rallies”, but that really is just flight of fancy on my part.

Even though the main Binson factory had ceased production, technical support for servicing, repairing and modifying Echorecs was still available through Binson’s UK representative Eric Snowball, an ex ‘Vox’ engineer. His small workshop was based at ESE music in Maidstone, Kent, England where he and a couple of technicians possessed the capability to refurbish, restore and repair Echorecs to a high level—completely refurbished units looked (and had the aromatic tang of new paint) just as if they had rolled off the Binson factory production line back in the 60s. They also had the expertise to rebuild and restore the Echorec memory system, cleaning and electroplating old and corroded metal parts, refacing the heads and drum so it was as new. They could even construct new Tolex covered wooden carry cases that housed the Echorec.

84_binson_bits — New old stock Echorec parts such as these heads and idler wheel are a dwindling resource and are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain and more expensive.

Dr Bini closed his factory doors for the last time in 1996. Another company later took over the Binson premises and the contents of the buildings. The new owners did not fully appreciate the value of what they had inherited and they had the buildings cleared and the contents disposed of in local landfill. However, all was not lost. One or two astute enthusiasts salvaged some of the last remaining remnants of Bini’s legacy—keyboards, microphones and other equipment were saved from being hopelessly buried with Milan’s garbage in the ground. The Binson factory still stands and the building looks like it’s in pretty good shape, although it is empty and derelict inside and there’s an estate agents board outside.

The factory is located at the intersection of Via Fermi and Via Albert Einstein (the roads on this industrial estate are named after famous scientists) in Settimo Milanese, Milan, Italy—hallowed ground for Echorec enthusiasts. Sadly, Dr. Bini passed away two or three years ago at the time of writing this article (2013). Although Binson products are no longer manufactured, his daughter still owns the rights to the original “Binson” trademark.

Eric Snowball retired in 2011 and passed away not long after in 2016. However, the Binson story still doesn’t quite end here either; there’s another little tale to tell of a Milanese engineer, Marcello Patruno. Patruno dropped into the factory in 1982 to purchase a lot of Echorec machines and some new old stock parts. The fellow had a passion for vintage equipment and intended one day to restore and build his own machines. His first rebuilds were made to the original specifications, but he then went on to make several useful modifications to improve the design, including a solid aluminium idler wheel, variable speed D.C. motor and sleeker enclosure.

So, perhaps the Binson story will never end, at least not while there are a few die-hard enthusiasts who are using, adoring and working to keep these archaic, yet magnificent machines alive. And, just one more thing: For Dr Bini super-quality was an absolute must. The Binson company manufactured every single component in house apart from tubes, heads and bolts. When asked if it would not have been cheaper to have chassis and wooden cases and moulded parts made by third party manufacturers, Bini replied, “Sure it would have been cheaper, but then it would not be Binson stuff anymore!”.

Author’s note: Special thanks to David Bozzoni for kindly supplying additional material. Very little written text exists about Binson and I welcome any additional information, pictures or literature anyone can offer to supplement or improve this article.

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History of the Binson Amplifier HiFi Company