Gramophones, Phonographs, Victrolas....

[Gilbey]

I own some 78s which I purchased from friends in 1982, and a few acquired fer nuttin' in the years since then, but none of my current record players play 78s. I'm looking to remedy that situation, though. I don't care much for CDs but must suffer through them occasionally to listen to some music.

Hi Ashley,
You might want to check out the Garrard Type A turntable for electrically recorded 78's. That is my dedicated player for it, for which I use the stacker for most of the time. I enjoy stacking them 6 at a time (max) as I sit back and relax. It has four speeds (16, 33, 45, 78 rpm), semi automatic on single mode play, and fully automatic on stacker mode. Has muting features during descent of the stylus, very neat feature. Here's a sample ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2CGUsD6G0

BTW, I'm using the Shure M7D magnetic cartridge tracking at 4 grams. Believe me, that was featherweight back in the days of early stereo.

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

Show Us your Phonographs / Record Players

Show Us your Phonographs / Record Players. Any kind, any speeds, any era - cylinder or disc, shellac or vinyl.

Oddly enough, I've seen the "show us your radios" thread, but none specifically for record players.

I'll start with one I just sold (didn't want to post it in a non-Classifieds section of the lounge till after it was sold) -- Here's a demo of it playing some Tommy Dorsey, early Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Harry James , an early Nat King Cole vs. Lionel Hampton hot piano jazz "duel", etc.

Cool 2-tone green color scheme, with black case, and one of the CLEANEST best-condition examples I've seen, although these Post-WII machines (circa 1945-47) are otherwise fairly common, but usually in Beat-Up shape, stained and/or peeling cloth covering, etc...

* Birch brand, made around 1945-47, spring-wound

* SINGLE SPEED: 78 rpm.

* NO ELECTRICITY; completely mechanical. For picnics, beach, stargazing, general outdoors, power outages.

- CH

[video=youtube;b_N5_OUdgcc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_N5_OUdgcc&feature=plcp[/video]

 

[scotrace]

Turns out there is a thread.....

(merged)

 

[Dragon Soldier]

My Decca 80, bad pic. but a nice little player.

 

[Dragon Soldier]

Finished working on this lady today, 1920 Decca Junior...

[video=youtube;jxsn9uzlKZ4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxsn9uzlKZ4[/video]

 

[Dragon Soldier]

Colombia 109A, dates from the early 1930's (I believe) but was in production for quite some time. I think the same model was marketed in the USA by a different company. A little too old for the 1950's disc presented.

[video=youtube;DQNJ19zdxJI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQNJ19zdxJI[/video]

 

[Dragon Soldier]

A Decca Model 80. Overall my favourite machine that I own, quite late, probably early 1950's. Has auto start & auto brake, about as technically advanced as you get on a mechanical music player!

(Old disc though!)

[video=youtube;H5V9L4mVOZk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5V9L4mVOZk[/video]

 

[Dragon Soldier]

1920's Fullotone. This was a London Company that made fairly good quality gramophones from third party parts.

[video=youtube;hgXEonApieY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgXEonApieY[/video]

 

[scotrace]

Excellent collection of portables I've not seen before!

 

[The Reno Kid]

Well, they're not exactly portable but I have a pair of these:

194x RCA 70-C2

Sadly, they're both in storage right now, so I have to resort to the RCA factory photo. To give you an idea of size, they are roughly 33 inches high and weigh about 160 lbs. They are transcription turntables from a radio broadcast studio. Originally, they were set up to play at 33-1/3 or 78 but both of mine had an RCA 45 rpm adapter kit installed (I've removed these). They were used mainly for playing 16" transcription records and 78s for broadcast.

 

[CONELRAD]

It's certainly not a wind-up Victrola, but here's my 1940 GE phonograph radio, beautifully restored by the person I bought it from. I'd been looking for an antique electric phonograph to replace my cheap Crosley reproduction (that I've been expecting to bite the dust anytime for almost a year now) for far too long before I found this one.

I also have an unrestored portable Brunswick Panatrope.

 

[Dragon Soldier]

Finished this off this afternoon after a bare wood rebuild. Not something I'd be in any rush to do again to be honest"

[video=youtube;ykQ8Sb0q-28]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykQ8Sb0q-28[/video]

 

[Yesteryear]

Antique phonographs are my main hobby, I have a small side business rebuilding/servicing mechanical phonograph motors and love listening to old 78s.
Here are some of my phonographs:

Player-Tone Type 14, made in 1924. Original finish and mechanics, I rebuilt the reproducer to replace the original gaskets.




Oak Victor Victrola-50 (VV-50). This was manufactured in late 1922, probably in November of that year. I rebuilt the reproducer and motor to replace the rubber gaskets and grease. It has its original finish, nickel plating and mechanics- though the needle cups were added later on. Those needle cups were not introduced until 1923 on the side-wind version of the VV-50, so somebody 'upgraded' this one at some point in time.



-That's NOT my house by the way, lol. I wish!

Edison Amberola 50, this phonograph was manufactured in 1917. It plays Edison Blue Amberol cylinders, which were introduced in 1912 and manufactured until 1929 when the company went out of business.




Disassembled spring motor during cleaning, this is the Victor single spring motor for my VV-50.



I also have a lot of 78s ranging from 1905 to 1929, most of them being from the 20s (my favorite decade).

 

[scotrace]

Fantastic, Yesteryear!

I saw a box full of Blue Amberols at an antique shop last week at $5 each, all in surprising shape. I didn't have the time or cash to sort throughout them, unfortunately.

 

[Yesteryear]

Thanks,

Here are some videos of my phonographs in action:

1924 Player-Tone:

The song is 'Martha-M'appari' (Like a Dream) from act 3 of Flotow's 'Martha' opera- sung by Giovanni Martinelli. (Victor record 6193-A) Recorded on March 28, 1916.
[video=youtube;A1pk3uQq86A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1pk3uQq86A[/video]

 

[Yesteryear]

'Whispering-Fox Trot' by Paul Whiteman and His Ambassador Orchestra (composed by John Schonberger) --Recorded on August 23, 1920.
[video=youtube;DS0AMDsGpMI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS0AMDsGpMI[/video]

 

[Yesteryear]

1922 VV-50:

'Listening-Waltz'
by Philip Spitalny and His Orchestra -- recorded on December 16, 1924.
[video=youtube;fge8vsTbgb4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fge8vsTbgb4[/video]

 

[Yesteryear]

'No More Worryin'-Fox Trot'
by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra -- recorded on March 26, 1926
[video=youtube;YLtigPaRnco]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLtigPaRnco[/video]

 

[Yesteryear]

1917 Edison Amberola-50:

Edison Amberola 50 playing Blue Amberol cylinder #2547 'When You Wore A Tulip' by W. Van Brunt & Chorus (1915). The first couple grooves on this cylinder are slightly damaged causing it to skip.
[video=youtube;-PnJ5r-dsTY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PnJ5r-dsTY[/video]

 

[Yesteryear]

I bought this HMV102 portable gramophone not too long ago. This one was made in 1945.