German grammophone

Discussions on Talking Machines of British or European Manufacture
aledg1982
Victor Jr
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German grammophone

Post by aledg1982 »

[quote][/quote]Any ideas about it? Crapophone?
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jboger
Victor IV
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Re: German grammophone

Post by jboger »

Nope, I'd say that's the genuine thing. I wish I could find European machines in my area.

aledg1982
Victor Jr
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Re: German grammophone

Post by aledg1982 »

Thank you for your reply.
All the details suggest it's an original thing.
It's so strange it has two mirrors on the sides... maybe they have been added later?

phonodesbois
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Re: German grammophone

Post by phonodesbois »

I bought my very first horn gramophone 44 years ago in Greece and it was similar to yours with mirrors and all that...
I think that they are late machines with a mix of new and second hands parts; I assume that they were sold and used in remote areas where electricity was not available yet.
So I will not call them crapophone.
Jeff

epigramophone
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Re: German grammophone

Post by epigramophone »

I have seen external horn machines with clear glass panels in the case sides but never mirrors. The motor could be viewed through glass if one was so inclined, but I cannot see what purpose mirrors would serve, so I assume that they were purely decorative additions.

aledg1982
Victor Jr
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Re: German grammophone

Post by aledg1982 »

Thank you for all your answers!!

soundgen
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Re: German grammophone

Post by soundgen »

phonodesbois wrote:I bought my very first horn gramophone 44 years ago in Greece and it was similar to yours with mirrors and all that...
I think that they are late machines with a mix of new and second hands parts; I assume that they were sold and used in remote areas where electricity was not available yet.
So I will not call them crapophone.
Jeff
They are made up without a doubt !

aledg1982
Victor Jr
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Re: German grammophone

Post by aledg1982 »

Hello everybody,
I continued in the investigations about my german gramophone.
The mirrors hide glasses behind them, so I think they were applied later and originally it had glasses. I restored them.
I found there a Thorens Cristal 330 of 1914, https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/thorens_c ... o_330.html, which is really similar to mine. You can also find it here, https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/345158758914647984, the first on the left.
It is really strange that no logo or brand name is present inside or outside the wooden case.
Do you have other ideas than it is a made up machine or Thorens?

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Jaso
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Re: German grammophone

Post by Jaso »

To me it also looks like a cobbled up machine. Not an indian crapophone, but an older frankenphone with genuine parts from different eras. My alarm bells ring everytime I see a “restored” horn on a machine. The crank looks like it came from a 1930’s portable. The soundbox looks to me very much like a Thorens Primaphonic which is also from 1930’s and not correct to any external horn machine. Could you post sharp close up pictures of the soundbox, embossed horn pattern and the bottom of the motor? Is there any extra holes drilled to the cabinet?

aledg1982
Victor Jr
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Re: German grammophone

Post by aledg1982 »

I also thought that it is a mix of different parts but there are not wrong holes,the crank fits in its hole and also the motor is screwed in its original holes.
I will post some other pictures of the horn and motor. The motor has no logos but it only has german words like "auf".

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