1914 HMV Model No.7 Gramophone

[FloridaClay]

A handsome machine indeed!

Clay

[Starkton]

Great to see a beautiful HMV gramophone with metal and wood parts in such nice condition. Congratulations! Too many were cleaned in the past with rough methods, scratching the nickeled surfaces.

It has already been mentioned that a Gramophone Co., and not a G&T, Exhibition soundbox would be suitable. The horn matches nicely, but I think it is the smaller variant which was provided as an option for double spring models. Triple spring gramophones like yours had spear tip horns as an option. The horn misses the decal which, together with the as new condition, makes me think that it was refinished.

Your gramophone was manufactured for export, and Russia seems to suggest itself because of the "Amour" (АМУР) which remained in use until the Russian revolution. The then famous Russian proverb, "You sing like a dog" was one reason why Nipper had acceptance problems there. However, evidence against this contribution is the use of the inscription "Gramophone" instead of the cyrillic "Граммофонъ" (see below). Perhaps this gramophone was exported to Poland, at that time part of the Russian empire? Arabian countries likewise rejected the dog, "Amour" was also used on gramophones for export in these regions.

I would also say that this machine was equivalent to the Victor V in 1914. It is interesting to note that oak (HFO) and mahagony (HFM) variants of the Model 7 cost the same. Until December 1913 there was an equivalent to the Victor VI, the HMV Model VII Export de Luxe in mahagony with gilt fittings.

[Steve]

The horn matches nicely, but I think it is the smaller variant which was provided as an option for double spring models. Triple spring gramophones like yours had spear tip horns as an option.

It is absolutely correct as it is. It is not the smaller variant - I have the exact same gramophone in mahogany with the same identical smooth horn. By 1914, the 7/7A had reverted back to simply being the "No.7" and could be purchased in either oak or mahogany with or without a wooden horn. I have seen about the same number of mahogany examples with both smooth and fluted horns.

BTW I have never seen a No. 7 with gilt fittings. Have you?

[Starkton]

It is not the smaller variant - I have the exact same gramophone in mahogany with the same identical smooth horn. [...]
BTW I have never seen a No. 7 with gilt fittings. Have you?

What is the size of this horn? Smooth horns, called "No. 3" in the Deutsche Grammophon catalogue, as an option for one- and two-spring models, are 53 cm long with a diameter of 46,5 cm. Can you please show a picture of your mahagony No. 7?

I have not seen the "De Luxe" version of the No. 7 also. It must be very rare, as all luxury models (except the Victor VI).

[Steve]

The horn I have appears to be identical in size (from the photographs, at least) to the one shown here and it is 55cm diameter. I will attempt to add a picture when the rain stops!

[Zwebie]

The diameter of the horn on the HMV is 21 ⅝ inches, the height is 21 ⅜ inches.
The diameter of the horn on the Victor V is 21 ⅞ inches, the height is 21 ⅝ inches.

The two machines are very comparable in size.

The HMV horn does show light alligatoring, as shown in the pictures, so I don't believe that it was ever refinished.
It was probably stored safely in a blanket while the machine sat out. I see no evidence of a decal on the horn, what type of decal would an HMV horn have in 1914?

Also the metal fittings on the end of the horn differ, as seen in the last picture. (D.R.G.M. = Deutsche Grammophon?)

Bob S.

[Valecnik]

That's quite a large machine. Until you posed it next to the V, I'd imaged it was much smaller and that the horn was baby music master sized.

The V is also very nice by the way? Is it re-nickeled or original?

[Steve]

Starkton mentioned the German catalogue but looking through my English catalogues, I see no mention of a No.7 with gilt fittings so I suspect the machine he is referring to was never available in Britain, therefore, as I said earlier, the No. 7 as shown here was the top-of-the-range of its day in the UK. As this example was supplied for the Russian market, the horn was donated by Deutsche Grammophon and maybe that is why there is no dog decal? I doubt it has ever been stripped and refinished. I once owned another No. 7 in mahogany and that particular example never even had a trademark decal on the cabinet, whilst never being touched from new.

Bob, the decal normally found adorning such horns would be the small circular type similar to the ones found on comparable Victor horns of the period. Obviously like the small circular record cleaning pads from HMV they say Gramophone Co. on them and not VTMCo.

[Starkton]

That's quite a large machine. Until you posed it next to the V, I'd imaged it was much smaller and that the horn was baby music master sized.

I thought so too, and deduced a too small measure for the horn. I have to correct myself, the horn fits perfectly. Obviously it wasn't refinished and the lack of the decal must have another logical explanation. Below is a contemporary decal from a German made spearpoint horn.

looking through my English catalogues, I see no mention of a No.7 with gilt fittings so I suspect the machine he is referring to was never available in Britain

The Model VII de Luxe is mentioned on page 41 of "His Master's Gramophone." It was an export model which explains why it isn't listed in your English catalogues.

[Zwebie]

That's quite a large machine. Until you posed it next to the V, I'd imaged it was much smaller and that the horn was baby music master sized.

The V is also very nice by the way? Is it re-nickeled or original?

Believe it or not, the V is original and has even better nickel than the HMV, and has been cleaned in exactly the same manner, (although I must admit I did swap out the brake for a better brake from a Vic.III), and upgraded it with an Improved Concert reproducer.

I picked up the V base at Union a few years ago, it had excellent original finish and what appeared to be excellent nickel, it even has excellent dark green felt on the turntable, (with a few moth holes). I was using this machine to support a 24B horn, but a few months ago I picked up the nicest original spearpoint horn I had ever seen, on Ebay, (It must also have been stored in an attic or something, because the decal is great, there is the lightest of alligatoring, and it was still shiny on the inside!). All I did was clean it with Gojo, and you can see for yourself how it looks.