Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

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nostalgia
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Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by nostalgia »

I am offered a HMV, I am not sure what exact hornless model it is, even after viewing the "His Master's Gramophone" book.
I have only the attached photos, and one can see that the soundbox has been changed, but also the soundarm worries me. I don't like
the screws that are holding the tonearm to the wooden case, is this a genuine tonearm? After scrutiny,,,may this be a model 111? After more detailed looking in the book, it may seem that the tonearm maybe is fastened this way on this particular model?
Update: I now see model 103 also has this variety of fastening the tonearm, so maybe it is actually genuine, but I still find it difficult to decide the model though, I first thought it was model 109, but the missing break on the left side and the fastening of the tonearm is excluding this model and a few more hornless models.
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Phono48
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Re: Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by Phono48 »

It's a 109. (top one on page 183 of His Masters' Gramophone)).

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Re: Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by nostalgia »

Phono48: Please look at the tonearm fastening of model 109, it does not match this model, or wait...Model 109 is also equipped with this fastening..I was looking at the lower photo on page 183.

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Re: Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by epigramophone »

The original soundbox would have been an HMV No.4. The Thorens presently fitted devalues the machine.

Although difficult to be sure from the pictures, I suspect that the case may have been refinished.

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Re: Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by nostalgia »

Yes, I know the Thorens is decreasing it's value, since I need look for a HMV no 4 soundbox. I have received more photos. What do you think? Has it been refitted? The asking price is 100 euro.
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epigramophone
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Re: Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by epigramophone »

The finish looks too orange to be the original, and the door knobs are also not original. The 109 is common, and if you really want one a better example will turn up sooner or later, but most collectors will tell you that the 130 is the best table model that HMV ever made. A 130 will cost more than a 109, but will be well worth it.
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Gramtastic
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Re: Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by Gramtastic »

It is the wrong tone arm - the 109 arm has a wider base which bolts through the motor board using the three bolts you can see. This is an HMV portable tone arm.

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Re: Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by nostalgia »

Thank you for all help, I also felt the tonearm also was wrong, and now it has been confirmed. If also the finish has been altered, and the soundbox is wrong, and even the doorknobs changed, I will pass it. I was looking at the doorknobs myself too during the last hour, and felt they were wrong. I have also read the model 130 is a better gramophone, but...would have bought this 109, if it was genuine, to widen my HMV collection. Thanks again for all help and guidance.

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Re: Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by Phono48 »

Gramtastic wrote:It is the wrong tone arm - the 109 arm has a wider base which bolts through the motor board using the three bolts you can see. This is an HMV portable tone arm.
Sorry to disagree, but it's not a portable arm. The only portable that uses this style of arm is a 101, and the enclosed photo shows that it has a much shallower base than the one on the 109. The arm shown originally is the correct one, as confirmed by "nostalgia" in his earlier post, in which he refers to the upper photo, page 183.

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Re: Is this a genuine HMV tonearm, and what model is it?

Post by nostalgia »

Phono48: I now tend to agree with you about the tonearm, after again scrutinizing the tonearm in the book. This particular model of 109,
seem to have this tonearm and fastening? I am a newbie in this, buf of what I can see, this seem to be genuine after all.
Then I am left with the changed doorknobs, for whatever reason they are changed, and also the light color of the gramophone.
I look at the color in the book and the color of this gramophone, is it the camera flash, or the light conditions, natural aging, or has the color been altered, I cant agree with myself, really. If one is looking at photo no 3 from top, one can see color variations in the cover, the roof of the cover has a different tone than the rest ( this roof color is maybe close to the original color?), and I am not able to at this stage to myself decide what made this happen, if it is a natural process caused by external light conditions after years of keeping the lid open, or not.
If buying it, i also get 50 records along with it...
I will sleep on it;) It was an important thing that the tonearm as it looks now, after all is genuine...

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