I adopted this tape machine from the engineer/producer  Geza X. He is a legend in the music world. I met him through the Punk side of things. In the mid to late 70's Geza

was working with and developing bands like  Dead Kennedys, Germs, Redd Kross, Black Flag, The Avengers and The Weirdos.  Eventually leading to doing things like  Meredith Brooks' "Bitch" to Elliott Smith , From a Basement on the Hill. Geza has a true understanding of music, electronics and production from which I admire and learned from a lot. He told me many stories of John Stephens making wish I had met him. One being that NASA gave him the dark side of the moon tapes to try and decipher what might be there to see over there. That alone...... 

         I met Geza X through John Denney. (singer or the Weirdos) Geza was doing some sort of video interview of sorts to all the old LA punks. So we went to meet him at the studio he had at the time called the Vortex were he was doing most of his work at the time. We walked in with Geza X and Don Bolles in there being goofy and getting things ready for the John Denney interview. That was the beginning of the future studio and development projects with Geza X.  Hmmmm. now, with Don Bolles. That's a whole other chapter.

          Now how I know John Denny, whole other story too, I was living in my recording studio at the time with Kevin Rutmanis from the Cows, The Melvins, Tomahawk and Dix Denny from guitar player  the Weirdos. We had a band at the time called Hepatitis. Kind of a noise, art, punk band.  Of course my best friend Zander Schloss from the Circle Jerks was over doing stuff with us in the studio  all the time along with many other iconic weird musicians. The Weirdos had been broken up for years so I had never met Dix's Brother John until one day John got an urge to get band back together. He came into town and from then until forever the studio has become John Denney's home away from New Orleans. 

         Anyways, to make a short story longer. Every time I would end up at the Vortex to meet up with Geza would see an old tape machine tucked away with moving blankets on it.  I kept asking about it and hinting at the fact that I wanted to work with tape was wondering about putting it to use. Of course he said it was broken and after so many attempts to fix it it now lived on the shelf. Well guess after bugging him about it almost 99 times he must have though. What's the worse that can happen, and let me take the Stephens to start my venture of disappointment. After I got it all I did was ask around and try to pick peoples brains on how, who and were for the broken tape machine world. I came to understand that Stephens tape machines are a a very odd and specific taste. Amazing sounding tape machines. But only very few knew even how to get started with working on one.  John Stephens being dead made it a very difficult task. Over time it became a cult following many of whom I'm very glad to have met. Including Dr. Dave Gallo who would be the person to bring this one back to life, and Doug Messenger, another Stephens tape machine owner with many stores on John Stephens as well as people from Van Morrison to Jimi Hendrix.

    After 5 years of struggle. We were finally able to have a working Stephens tape machine. Finally I was able phone Geza exited to tell him the news. He said he wanted to come

over and see it.  I was proud and couldn't wait.

        After such a long struggle and adventure Geza was

going to see. He gave it his long inspection and tests. Of course with me sitting there being nervous for some unknown reason. Then he looked over at me and said "Congradulatios, you're the new owner of a Stephens tape machine".