Gramophones, Phonographs, Victrolas....

[LizzieMaine]

They'd be more or less the same, I'd think. Probably an idler-wheel turntable drive and crystal pickup -- in both cases you may need to do some servicing. Idler wheel drives develop a thump when the rubber tire on the idler wheel hardens with age when left in one position for a long time, and the crystals in the pickups have a way of disintegrating if the unit has been stored in a humid location. Both situations are easy enough to deal with -- replacement idler wheels are available from various dealers, and West-Tech Services does an excellent job rebuilding crystal pickups.

Webster changers were commonly installed as original equipment in mid-priced console radios in the late forties and early fifties. Like all changers of the time they could be rough on records if they got out of adjustment.

 

[Nobert]

They'd be more or less the same, I'd think. Probably an idler-wheel turntable drive and crystal pickup -- in both cases you may need to do some servicing. Idler wheel drives develop a thump when the rubber tire on the idler wheel hardens with age when left in one position for a long time, and the crystals in the pickups have a way of disintegrating if the unit has been stored in a humid location. Both situations are easy enough to deal with -- replacement idler wheels are available from various dealers, and West-Tech Services does an excellent job rebuilding crystal pickups.

Webster changers were commonly installed as original equipment in mid-priced console radios in the late forties and early fifties. Like all changers of the time they could be rough on records if they got out of adjustment.

Thank you. I have one of each, in various states of disrepair, and was wondering which one to restore, possible cribbing parts from the other. This information in quite helpful.

 

[vitanola]

The Webster is a decent unit, but the V-M Tri- O- Matic has long been averred to be the most serviceable and reliable changer to have reached the mass market.

The current ready availability of spare parts and of service information for the V-M products greaptly increases their serviceability.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...fAZ4QFgggMAA&usg=AOvVaw1Y7P_a6VI_Ot-2WOhIyPtx

 

[Giftmacher]

Changed the mainspring in my Paillard portable, but it's still not running smooth.

 

[scotrace]

That's a lot of sound from a small box.

 

[Giftmacher]

There's more of metal than wood on it and it's also quite big for a portable gramophone. Need to get the motor out and find the reason of speed fluctuation, I guess it needs more graphite grease in the spring case.

 

[Giftmacher]

My humble shellac records collection

 

[Giftmacher]

German Majestrola before and after overhaul.

 

[scotrace]

Some of the extras lying around.

 

[Giftmacher]

Made a collage from labels of records I uploaded to YouTube so far.

 

[decojoe67]

Here's my 1925 Victor Victrola 210. It was one of the most popular models Victor ever made. It's all original, had a "tune-up" and sounds beautiful. If you close the top while it's playing you'd swear it was an electric phono. I bought this in 1982 when I was 15! It traveled to 2 states and 6 or 7 homes, but survived in tact.

 

[scotrace]

I have a VV210 as well. Nice machine.

 

[Bugguy]

Back in the day of live evening antique auctions, I took home the nicest full-size Victrola I've ever seen. Light oak finish and perfect condition. About $300 as I recall. It fit perfectly in my craftsman Chicago bungalow. About a week later I got a call from the Chicago PD... it was stolen property. Ugly divorce and somebody took all the good stuff to auction. It was strongly suggested that I take my refund, shut up and go away. it was beautiful - haven't seen one as nice since. Disappointed!

 

[decojoe67]

I just acquired a 1915 Victor Victrola VV-XIV locally for a very fair price. It's a large mid-level mahogany model with triple springs and nice intricately carved winged front edge panels. It was a total attic find that needed a lot of detailing. Everything has patina, but it is 115 years old. I'm happy how it came out. I had the mechanism and reproducer gone over by a friend and it sounds sweet

. There's a gold decal on the panel below the Victrola decal that states "Mathushek and Sons Piano Co. New York" which was right in the heart of Times Square at Broadway and 47th street. If this piece could talk! One thing I noticed is that highly domed top acts like a bandshell to the residual sound emanating from the turntable.

 

[LizzieMaine]

This is what a top-of-the-line record changer looked like just after the war -- a Garrard RC-65, which I've spent a good part of my unwanted free time in recent weeks getting back into working order.

One of the problems with electric record players of the late prewar/early postwar era is that the cheap and simple rim-drive motors they use are often non-synchronous, and therefore don't use the power line frequency to determine the operating speed. The result is that modern higher line voltages will cause them to run substantially fast -- generally in the range of 85 rpm or so, which is enough of a difference from 78 to really corrupt the pitch of the music. If you're just listening casually, it might not bother you, but if you play a lot of records and you know how they're supposed to sound, it's going to drive you up the wall.

So I picked up this Garrard on eBay a while back. It's notable for having a direct-drive induction motor -- with the added feature of a speed governor that regulates it to speeds from 65 to 90 rpm to account for any fluctuations in line frequency and for varying recording speeds in the records themselves. Very few players of the 1940s incorporated such a feature, and its presence was the main reason I decided to take a chance on this machine.

These changers have one major known issue: some of them were built on a pot metal frame that warps and distorts if it's stored poorly, jamming up the mechanism to where it can't be freed. Mine, fortunately, is unwarped, and the only jamming in the mechanism came from decades of old, dried up lubrication. After a few hours of working it with lithium grease and sewing machine oil, I got it freed up and working smoothly.

The changer loads 8 10 or 12 inch records at a time -- and unlike most changers of the period, and unlike most changers of later eras, it can handle 10 and 12 inch records in a mixed stack. It uses the Garrard disc-pusher mechanism and a specially slanted spindle, which is much gentler on records than the slicer-knife approach used on other changers of the time. Substitute the tall spindle with a short, stubby one and you can single-play as well. The changer mechanism operates without a lot of noise -- a couple of slight clunks which you can barely hear in the next room -- and required very little adjustment, although certain fine adjustments are possible if necessary.

The arm tracks at 1 ounce according to specifications, but you'll notice that holes have been drilled in the head shell by a previous owner, and the paint stripped off -- reducing the tracking weight to about half an ounce, which is much, much lighter than 78s usually experienced, and allows the use of a lighter-tracking cartridge. It came with an old all-speed jukebox cartridge, which I didn't like the sound of at all, so I installed an Astatic 81 of the sort used on classroom phonos, with a 3.0 mil needle. Connected to the phono input jack installed on the back of my big Philco 37-10, the sound is extremely impressive, especially on mid-late '30s Victor records. Benny Goodman is right there in the room with you blowing a solo right in your face.

This changer was among the options offered for high-end postwar Scott radios, and is often found added to earlier Scott models as an upgrade. It was the last single-speed changer made by Garrard, and it may be the best single-speed changer ever offered by anyone. Mine came mounted in a very fine wooden tabletop cabinet that harmonizes nicely with my radio -- there are no maker's marks on the cabinet, but it's too nice to be handmade, and I suspect it might have been an option available thru one of the aftermarket radio-audio supply companies of the time.

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

This is what a top-of-the-line record changer looked like just after the war -- a Garrard RC-65, which I've spent a good part of my unwanted free time in recent weeks getting back into working order.

Nice!

 

[decojoe67]

Since I read that my 1925 Victor Victrola VV-210 was offered with a thin chassis Radiola IX cut into left side inside area, I always wanted to place a radio there with a driver attachment. I finally did it. I placed my Radiola III (with balanced amp) inside, and found a nice Baldwin "Concert Grand" driver phono attachment on eBay. It sounds loud and clear through the phono's iron/wood horn. Of course the top can't be closed this way, which is fine with me, but the set-up looks pretty cool, is all RCA-Victor, and is period correct.
I wonder how many people did this same set-up. The little Radiola III, even without the amp, makes for a neat entertainment center!
Sorry that the pic is a little dark:

 

[decojoe67]

This is a circa 1947 Packard Bell model 42B phonograph transmitter. These were a cheap alternative to buying a complete phono with an amp. You turn on your AM radio, play a record, and the unit transmits to your radio. You just scan the dial to find the frequency. There was a very similar and iconic unit made by General Electric for the Canadian market designed by John Vassos. The teardrop shape is quintessential streamline-modern styling. It works too!

 

[Warden]

Over lockdown I started sorting out my 78 shellac record collection.

Little video clip uploaded to my Instagram account

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbWUYYhTCi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

[decojoe67]

Here is a 1907 Edison "GEM" model B. These were "cheapie" phono's that sold for, I believe, $10. The small and pleasing looking little machine is adorable. It's built like a tank too. The unit runs smooth and sounds good for 115 year old. You don't much display place for this one.