Decca Salon 130 portable questions

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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Salon »

The soundbox on this is in fine condition except for the back rubber insert which is now replaced. It sounds excellent, as usual with these Paillard No. 8 units. Thanks for your response.

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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Salon »

In answer to Marco Gilardetti, my Salon Decca 130 is indeed the one that was advertised on eBay. Those Paillard 8 soundboxes, especially the backs, rarely photograph very well, as the crackle finish with light reflections as well as the inevitable paint flaking or being thinner around the edges makes the condition look much worse than it actually is. As I posted above, apart from the hardening of the back rubber insert (which has been replaced) this one reproduces perfectly, with the usual great depth and clarity.

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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

I'm glad that you're happy with your purchase. I had a lot of expenses last month, so I was tracking the auction but refrained to bid. Also - as said - the soundbox looked in quite alarming conditions and kept me a bit at large. I'm glad that it was better than it looked at first! Enjoy your new singing friend!

Should you decide to resell the unit in the future for whatever reason, please remember me and drop me a line!

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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

So, after a light rehaul and some retouch here and there, finally here come few pictures of my Decca Salon 130 portable gramophone!
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The crank escutcheon has a closing mechanism - this was damaged and not correctly mounted. I did my best to recover it with only a hammer, a punch and a flat reference surface. I'm not even 100% sure that it is correct this way, can someone please confirm?
The crank escutcheon has a closing mechanism - this was damaged and not correctly mounted. I did my best to recover it with only a hammer, a punch and a flat reference surface. I'm not even 100% sure that it is correct this way, can someone please confirm?
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The celebrated inner bifurcated exponential horn - an engineering masterpiece!
The celebrated inner bifurcated exponential horn - an engineering masterpiece!

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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

Right after the bifurcated horn, I'd say that the most peculiar detail of the Salon 130 is the auto-stop device. It took me quite a while to understand how it is operated, but after having understood what I should do it turned out to be, with my highest surprise, nothing less than a mechanical programmable memory!!!

I remember that on previous messages some other Salon 130 owner wrote that he was also puzzled with it. If anyone would appreciate, I would be glad to put down some step-by-step operating directions with pictures of the real thing "in action".
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Marco Gilardetti
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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

Unfortunately my unit has a broken part: the rest piece for the arm. By observing how the machine is operated, I deduced that this piece should have a spring-like flexibility, and it should be hard enough to support the arm when it is lifted and/or the needle is being changed etc., but it should also be flexible enough to be overstep when fully reversing the arm to engage it in its rest inside the horn's mouth.

Can please anyone confirm it is so?

Could anyone please post a picture of the piece so that I can try to craft a replacement part? Useless to say, should anyone know where to buy a replacement, or a non-specific part that would however do the trick, please speak out!
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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Orchorsol »

Congratulations Marco, that's a beautiful Decca! They sound excellent too. I'm really pleased to hear you've bought a great machine - as you've often said how difficult it is to buy good gramophones in Italy.

Yes, I believe the tonearm detent piece works in the same way to that of a HMV 102. I'm sorry my similar Decca is buried in storage, so I can't get to photograph it.
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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Phono48 »

My 130 also had a broken crook rest, but to replace with an original proved impossible. I found that one from an HMV 101 worked, and should be easier to get hold of, but one of the fixing holes had to be extended a small amount. I'm afraid you will find that making one will be impossible, as the steel will lose it's flexibility once heated enough to shape it.

You will probably also want to find the record album that should be in the lid, plus it's brackets and securing clip, and a correct winding handle, the one you have is from an Edison Bell portable.

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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Marco Gilardetti »

Thank you Andy! Indeed this gramophone is no exception: I had to import it from UK... ;)

This is the latest and possibly the last "hint" by the late Graham Barber: I didn't know that I wanted to own a Salon 130 until I read on his website that I actually wanted to. ;) When I finally got it, at first I was a bit disappointed by how small and sober it is compared to - say - a Columbia 113a, however soundwise it is really second to none. What an engineering masterpiece!

I believe that the tonearm detent piece is not really similar to that of the HMV 102. With the HMV 102, the rest fork is quite high and when the tonearm is put to rest the stop nut is not in contact with the detent piece. With the Decca 130 the rest fork is deep inside the horn's mouth and the tonearm needs much more rotation in order to be put to rest; I believe that the detent piece should be flexible so that the stop nut might overstep it and the tonearm may reach its resting position over the fork and inside the horn. But as said the piece is broken so I don't know if this is actually true or if I'm missing something.

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Re: Decca Salon 130 portable questions

Post by Phono48 »

As I said in my previous post, the one that I replaced the broken one with was from a 101, NOT a 102. The 101 stop, being spring steel, allows the arm to act in the same way as the Decca.

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