Dulcephone?

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Inigo
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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by Inigo »

Truly wonderful!
Inigo

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nostalgia
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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by nostalgia »

I like it a lot too, and I know the feeling of just having collected a true beauty;) ( Yes, I talk about gramophones) ;)
Congrats!!

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CharliePhono
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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by CharliePhono »

One more pic (for a while, anyway) of the Dulcephone Pansy assembled. Again, apology for the poor pic quality. The machine isn't functional as yet, but I did clean it up a bit and simply assembled the components for a picture.

I do wish there was more information available regarding these machines. Orchosol has one -- anyone else?
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Orchorsol
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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by Orchorsol »

Really great to see it together and up and running!

I'm not sure about your tonearm - nor mine! Yours looks to me rather as though part of a UK Gilbert tonearm has been adapted. I could be wrong of course, but the angles and large mass at the end don't look like a regular fitting for an external horn gramophone. In a different way mine looks like a strange misalliance of different sections too...
BCN thorn needles made to the original 1920s specifications: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4DNb ... TPE-zTAJGg?

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CharliePhono
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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by CharliePhono »

Orchorsol wrote:Really great to see it together and up and running!

I'm not sure about your tonearm - nor mine! Yours looks to me rather as though part of a UK Gilbert tonearm has been adapted. I could be wrong of course, but the angles and large mass at the end don't look like a regular fitting for an external horn gramophone. In a different way mine looks like a strange misalliance of different sections too...
I would tend to agree. I questioned the appearance of the tonearm myself, thinking it looked more like it was possibly fitted to something from the electrically-recorded disc era. On the other hand, it does fit nicely up into the back bracket, although I haven't yet figured out how to secure it there or, once secure, how it would rotate smoothly from side to side. There is a single set-screw in the outer collar of the back bracket which is firmly stuck and the head stripped off, likely not original. At present, the tonearm is simply held there by grace and gravity, as it were. The soundbox has no markings on it whatsoever to indicate a manufacturer. It is fitted to the tonearm by means of a rubber fitting/sleeve/grommet, i.e., no pin or other device to secure it. The whole tonearm/soundbox assembly is very small; one might assume it was cannibalized from a portable.

Heaven knows if I would ever be able to find an original tonearm/soundbox assembly (assuming the present one is not original), when there is seemingly a paucity of information available on these machines. As it stands right now, it is simply an ornamentation atop a stand. I'm not in any hurry to get it up and running.

It is a mystery. Who can say how it came to be that way after 100 or so years? During a conversation with the seller, who himself was of Armenian heritage, he seemed to indicate it was brought to the U.S. by an Armenian family to California many years ago.

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Orchorsol
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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by Orchorsol »

Hi again Charlie - you getting in touch has prompted me to upload a video of my Pansy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WtHcx1 ... e=youtu.be
BCN thorn needles made to the original 1920s specifications: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4DNb ... TPE-zTAJGg?

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CharliePhono
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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by CharliePhono »

Orchorsol wrote:Hi again Charlie - you getting in touch has prompted me to upload a video of my Pansy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WtHcx1 ... e=youtu.be

Hello, Andy, and thank you for the upload! Also, I like the song, "Get Out & Get Under" very much. It was quite a risqué song for its day:

"Millionaire Wilson said to Johnny one day,
"Your little sweetheart don't appreciate you,
I have a daughter who is hungry for love,
She likes to ride, by the way".
Johnny had visions of a million in gold,
He took her riding in his little auto,
But ev'ry time that he went to say "Marry me",
'Twas the old story again."

My Dulcephone is resting regally atop a small, apartment-size refrigerator. I've only dusted it, cleaned and lemon-oiled the horn, and there it sits, likely to be a winter project. With reference to the tonearm, I now truly believe it is original to the machine. It fits nicely into the back bracket and needs some tinkering and a proper set screw to get it to stay, but the arc of the tonearm-to-spindle is perfect. Again, it will all be a matter of the "roun-tuit" before possibly getting it going again.

I would be most interested to hear from others who own or have had any dealings with an outside-horn Dulcephone. I know they were marketed by the company that eventually took the Decca name, but there is truly a paucity of information to speak of on the web. Maybe the "Pansy" is a truly rare bird here?

Thanks again, and I look forward to getting the thorn needle order off to you very soon.

Kind regards,
Charlie

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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by Dangermouse »

I have just purchased a Dulcephone Pansy, but the pansy name is on the soundbox not the bracket. A lovely under rated range of machines
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Orchorsol
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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by Orchorsol »

Welcome to the forum and congratulations! I saw that some weeks ago, and so wanted to buy it... :lol: A lovely and fascinating machine.

Andy
BCN thorn needles made to the original 1920s specifications: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4DNb ... TPE-zTAJGg?

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nostalgia
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Re: Dulcephone?

Post by nostalgia »

Welcome to the forum, and you have found yourself a beautiful horn gramophone. :clover: :)

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