Abstract: A guide member for use with a magnetic reading and/or recording head of a ticket issuing machine is made of material of low permeability and has a portion of material of high permeability. When the guide member is located adjacent a magnetic read/record head and is adjusted so that the material of high permeability is in register with the gap of the head, the separation loss between the head and a ticket, coated with a magnetisable material and passing between the head and the guide, is reduced to a minimum.