An apparatus for damping the ringing effects across the output terminals of a read/write circuit during write operation is described. The present invention introduces a first continuous damping resistance across the inductive load of the read/write head during the write operation, and automatically removes the damping resistance during the read operation. The circuit of the present invention also allows for a second damping resistance suitable for read mode attenuation to be placed directly across the output terminals. The equivalent damping resistance during the write mode is then the resistance of the second damping resistor in parallel with the resistance of the first damping resistor. The damping resistance causes exponential damping of the ringing signal elements, thereby reducing the settling time of the circuit and increasing the operating frequency range.