The Gramophone Exchange - Astra Soundboxes

Discussions on Talking Machines of British or European Manufacture
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Gramtastic
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The Gramophone Exchange - Astra Soundboxes

Post by Gramtastic »

I recently bought a small booklet supplied by the Gramophone exchange in London I assume in the early/mid 20's. There are some interesting things in it - they were the suppliers of the large "Astra" soundbox with the "compressed silk diaphragm" and offered a "generous allowances" for old soundboxes part -exchanged for one ! They also offered the diaphragms in all sizes to fit into HMV etc soundboxes - anyone ever found one today with one of these diaphragms fitted ??

Their list of soundboxes for sale is also interesting - you could have bought a Lenthall or a Seymour for less than the cost of a Columbia 6 or 7. Why were the Columbias so expensive ?

What was a B.R.O.S ??

They also made their own range of machines called "Vocarola" (late Orchestraphone). I assume there was some dispute over the original name. Again, anyone own a Vocarola ?

Hope someone can answer some of these for me !!
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epigramophone
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Re: The Gramophone Exchange - Astra Soundboxes

Post by epigramophone »

Thank you for posting this interesting booklet, which I have never seen before.

During 1923 there was much discussion in the pages of "The Gramophone" magazine on soundbox design and the importance of matching soundboxes to horns. Side by side tests of sounboxes were carried out, including the B.R.O.S, which was made by one A.J.Rice of Brighton and sold for 2 guineas (that's £2.10p to our younger readers). Like the Astra it had an unusually large diaphragm.

Gramtastic
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Re: The Gramophone Exchange - Astra Soundboxes

Post by Gramtastic »

Thanks for the info. No one own a Vocarola ??

epigramophone
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Re: The Gramophone Exchange - Astra Soundboxes

Post by epigramophone »

This B.R.O.S. soundbox has just appeared on UK eBay. It is the only one I have ever seen.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-B-R- ... 1438.l2649

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poodling around
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Re: The Gramophone Exchange - Astra Soundboxes

Post by poodling around »

epigramophone wrote:This B.R.O.S. soundbox has just appeared on UK eBay. It is the only one I have ever seen.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-B-R- ... 1438.l2649
Sadly, the ebay link no longer works. :cry:

However, I have a B.R.O.S soundbox and wonder if you can recall if the ebay one looked similar to mine ?

It does indeed have a large diaphragm but surprisingly the soundbox itself weighs very little.
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epigramophone
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Re: The Gramophone Exchange - Astra Soundboxes

Post by epigramophone »

Sorry, but after over 15 months I cannot remember what the eBay example looked like.

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poodling around
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Re: The Gramophone Exchange - Astra Soundboxes

Post by poodling around »

epigramophone wrote:Sorry, but after over 15 months I cannot remember what the eBay example looked like.
Oh, that's understandable. Thanks for having a think though. I imagine that the company might have made at least a few different soundbox models maybe. The soundbox is extremely good sounding incidentally.

Teak
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Re: The Gramophone Exchange - Astra Soundboxes

Post by Teak »

i bought the mentioned soundbox after epi's mention, but it turned out to be a different make all together in a bros soundbox box. :(
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