HMV model 100 portable...in red color?

[Steve]

Both the Dave Cooper book and "His Master's Gramophone" state that in the UK the HMV100 was only available in black. The only other version was the Tropical Teak model assembled in HMV's Calcutta factory for the Indian market. Even the HMV101 was only available in these same two versions until mid 1927, when coloured variants first appeared.

The machine pictured appears to have been heavily restored and, I suspect, re-coloured.

The turntable is the incorrect pattern for a model 100 , which had a flat rim edge , not a slightly raised rim channel as per most model 101s and all model 102s. Naturally the turntable felt colour is therefore incorrect also, the felt used in 1924 / 25 was a lighter brown colour , almost tan Dulcetto

I've seen this comment made a lot down through the years and yet I don't believe its actually true to suggest that ALL 100's have flat edge turntables and light coverings. I've seen far more 100's with identical turntables to the 101 complete with chocolate coloured felt. I think they switched at some point during its limited production run just prior to the first front winding 101s replacing the model.

Back in the days when 100s were seen as extremely rare I think the more common variation of flat edged turntable was seen. Since the Internet turned our pre-conceived notions of what things should look like on our heads and what constituted "rare", we've seen a lot of model variations turn up. The black oak 100 pictured above and my oak 100 both have the 101 type turntable. Along with the other UK 100s I've seen, including one in my collection which is in concourse condition, they can't all be wrong.

[Steve]

A pic of my oak 100

[Dulcetto]

Both the Dave Cooper book and "His Master's Gramophone" state that in the UK the HMV100 was only available in black. The only other version was the Tropical Teak model assembled in HMV's Calcutta factory for the Indian market. Even the HMV101 was only available in these same two versions until mid 1927, when coloured variants first appeared.

The machine pictured appears to have been heavily restored and, I suspect, re-coloured.

The turntable is the incorrect pattern for a model 100 , which had a flat rim edge , not a slightly raised rim channel as per most model 101s and all model 102s. Naturally the turntable felt colour is therefore incorrect also, the felt used in 1924 / 25 was a lighter brown colour , almost tan Dulcetto

I've seen this comment made a lot down through the years and yet I don't believe its actually true to suggest that ALL 100's have flat edge turntables and light coverings. I've seen far more 100's with identical turntables to the 101 complete with chocolate coloured felt. I think they switched at some point during its limited production run just prior to the first front winding 101s replacing the model.

Back in the days when 100s were seen as extremely rare I think the more common variation of flat edged turntable was seen. Since the Internet turned our pre-conceived notions of what things should look like on our heads and what constituted "rare", we've seen a lot of model variations turn up. The black oak 100 pictured above and my oak 100 both have the 101 type turntable. Along with the other UK 100s I've seen, including one in my collection which is in concourse condition, they can't all be wrong.

Hello Steve , Yes I'm sure you're correct in that HMV probably changed turntable styles at some point during the 100's production run so that some 100's probably left the factory with channelled rim type turntables ; my observation was more to point towards another likely factor in determining that the pictured red cased 100 was not authentic. To be honest , I've probably seen only about a dozen or 15 Model 100's in my time and from memory , all of those had the earlier style of turntable. Of course we must not forget that quite often machines we acquire have been through the hands of collectors or dealers at some point in their life and parts that are defective , damaged or missing are sometimes replaced with not necessarily entirely accurate replacements. I've probably done it myself in the past -- replaced a turntable where the felt was missing or damaged beyond repair ,or the nickel plating was poor , in order to make a machine into a saleable proposition. Now where did I put that gold plated Model 100 I found in a local junk shop years ago !!

[Dangermouse]

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Are you restoring an oak 100? The one I bought from Cumbria courtesy of 1818 "we'll get back to you but we won't" or "we don't know oak from stained softwood" or "we don't recognise the most famous trademark in the world" Auctioneers, only needed cleaning up and new carrying handle.

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No its just a black model covered in the normal stuff.

[Steve]

yes I saw that one too. Total muck up. I'd have to do a lot of work on it to get it back to original.

Sorry, I'm confused by your earlier comment. The one you are "restoring now" is a black one with rexine covering as you have just confirmed. So what other machine were you referring to in the above quote?