Celebrity System

Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck, born Geoffrey Arnold Beck on June 24, 1944, in Wallington, Surrey, England, was a legendary English rock guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the rock band “The Yardbirds”, replacing Eric Clapton in 1965. Beck later formed The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice, where he pioneered a fierce, overdriven approach to blues that influenced heavy metal music.

He earned much critical acclaim, winning eight Grammy Awards and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice—once with The Yardbirds in 1992, and again as a solo artist in 2009.

Beck’s influential guitar work and unique style made him one of the most respected guitarists in rock music. He passed away on January 10, 2023, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking music and innovation.

Jeff Beck’s Hi-Fi System

We have three photos of Jeff Beck in his London apartment, listening to some vintage British Hi-Fi equipment. The photos were likely taken around 1967.

In the first photo, you can see Jeff’s amplifier which is a Rogers HG88 Mark 3, manufactured as early as 1964. It is a stereo integrated amp, which employed ECL86 valves (vacuum tubes) and produced about 15 watts per channel.

Jeff Beck and his Hi-Fi system in his London apartment

Rogers HG88 Mark 3 stereo amplifier — Rogers HG88 Mark 3

Just below that is a Garrard A70 turntable, which could be operated as a record changer or single play. As a changer it used a “pusher platform” to gently push the record off the spindle, ensuring reliable operation. The turntable is equipped with a dynamically balanced tonearm, which provides improved tracking and reduced wear on records. The platter was driven by an idler wheel connected to a four pole motor.

Garrard A70 record changer with the long spindle and a “pusher platform” for playing multiple records in sequence

The Garrard A70 had four speeds and a fully adjustable tonearm

In the second photo, you can see Jeff operating a portable open reel tape recorder, which we believe is a Ferrograph 420 series recorder. It may have been a Ferrograph 422U which is a half track, stereo recorder. It operated at 7.5 and 15 inches per second, employed three heads, three motors, and used vacuum tubes.

Jeff Beck with a Ferrograph open reel tape recorder

Top view of a Ferrograph 420-series tape recorder with the head cover removed, showing the erase, record, and playback heads

In the third photo, you can see a pair of loudspeakers, which appear to be Leak “Sandwich” speakers. These are two way speakers, notable for the woofer’s diaphragm which was made from a composite “sandwich” for strength and light weight. The tweeter is attached to the grille rather than the cabinet, which is an unusual design. Also unusual is the photo of the company’s founder Harold Leak standing on the woofer to demonstrate it’s strength!

Jeff Beck and his dog enjoying the sounds of the Leak Sandwich speakers

A pair of 1960s Leak "Sandwich" loudspeakers — A pair of 1960s Leak “Sandwich” loudspeakers

The Leak Sandwich speaker with the grilles removed, showing the unique composite woofer cone and the tweeter attached to the grille

A print advertisement for the Leak Sandwich loudspeaker, with company founder Harold Leak standing on a woofer to demonstrate the strength of the composite material

Lastly, we can’t forget about the beautiful dog in the Jeff Beck photos, which we believe is an Afghan Hound.