The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Has anyone heard abt the crown gramophone before? Here is a picture of it.
http://www.tooveys.com/lots/176122/2682.JPG

Judging by the arm and the bevelled "Garrard" style turntable, I'd say it's a made-up job, although the horn looks to be original. The case itself looks like a butchered HMV? Did any manufacture put two identical trade marks on one cabinet, and put glass panels into it? And is that arm actually attached to the back bracket in any way?

Very much a made-up job. A dealer in the UK found large quantities of unused decals with a variety of names on them. He's still selling them on Ebay & they have been found giving a look of legitimacy to some doubtful machines.

This is a video of mine. I put it togther, its only the case, and horn original to eachother.
https://youtu.be/Ycmz7EIQKbg

Actually this type of gramophone was sold in Indonesia, I have seen others like that with identical case, and was offered one by a person who had bought it in Jakarta in the seventies, but I did not buy it, as the arm looked fitted from a portable or a tabletop, just like this one. It could be after all that this is how these machines were made, with those unfitting arms. There is a number of horn machines shown in Asian books that carry such arms, but without more precise sources I remain in the speculative area.

O ye of little faith!

This is a perfectly genuine machine made in the 1930's by or for the Kwong Loong Chan Company of 200 South Bridge Road, Singapore, who held the HMV dealership in Singapore for many years. Their solicitors took an advertisement in the Straits Times in June 1936 to establish the Company's right to use the Crown name on the gramophones and accessories which they made.

An article about the Crown gramophone by Howard Hope appeared in the CLPGS magazine "For the Record" Spring 2016 Issue No.57.

Reminds me somewhat of a machine I saw in an antique shop in Kuala Lumpur, back in '93.

I recognize the glass panels in the case, and the rather small pillar-and-plate motor. It had a "swan's neck" tone arm that had been broken and rather lumpily brazed together at some point...

Oh, and as for the CLPGS magazine article, is there perchance a link to that?

Bill

photo

Lucius1958 wrote:Reminds me somewhat of a machine I saw in an antique shop in Kuala Lumpur, back in '93.

I recognize the glass panels in the case, and the rather small pillar-and-plate motor. It had a "swan's neck" tone arm that had been broken and rather lumpily brazed together at some point...

Oh, and as for the CLPGS magazine article, is there perchance a link to that?

Bill

Some back copies of the magazine containing this article are still available from the Membership Secretary at http://www.clpgs.org.uk.

soundgen wrote:photo

My Crown didnt get the side glass panels.