Apollo Super 9

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Steve
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Apollo Super 9

Post by Steve »

I've just added an Apollo Super 9 gramophone to my collection to go with my Super 4.

The internal horn is a 24" diameter papier mache horn, similar to a Wilson Panharmonic but it has three 90 degrees bends to cleverly "fold" it into a cabinet barely big enough to contain it. This is like an EMG crossed with an HMV.

The cabinet copycats the HMV 194 re-entrant style. Or was Apollo first?

I'd like to know the exact date of these. The sound is amazing but I particularly like the provision of record storage behind the motor board where the lower half of the back of the cabinet conceals the final bend in the horn. There is no wasted space anywhere. It has it all.
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Re: Apollo Super 9

Post by chunnybh »

Made by Messrs. Craies & Stavridi, I believe the Apollo models are under rated.
The only thing that lets them down is the soundbox. They sound fantastic with a Meltrope III or any EMG soundbox. I agreed with the reviewer of "The Caxton Hall Tests" of 1925.
" My own opinion is that both the E.M.G. and the Apollo were handicapped by the sound-boxes they used."

I'd love to see better pics and some of the Super IV too, please.

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Re: Apollo Super 9

Post by emgcr »

Wonderful Steve and many congratulations---evidently quite a find ! Any chance of a video of it in action ?

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Re: Apollo Super 9

Post by poodling around »

Steve wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 12:46 pm I've just added an Apollo Super 9 gramophone to my collection to go with my Super 4.

The internal horn is a 24" diameter papier mache horn, similar to a Wilson Panharmonic but it has three 90 degrees bends to cleverly "fold" it into a cabinet barely big enough to contain it. This is like an EMG crossed with an HMV.

The cabinet copycats the HMV 194 re-entrant style. Or was Apollo first?

I'd like to know the exact date of these. The sound is amazing but I particularly like the provision of record storage behind the motor board where the lower half of the back of the cabinet conceals the final bend in the horn. There is no wasted space anywhere. It has it all.
Just to digress for a moment. I don't know anything about piano's but, as with most things, I know what I like.

You seem to have very nice (walnut ?) piano as well as this lovely gramophone.

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Re: Apollo Super 9

Post by Steve »

chunnybh wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 3:19 am Made by Messrs. Craies & Stavridi, I believe the Apollo models are under rated.
The only thing that lets them down is the soundbox. They sound fantastic with a Meltrope III or any EMG soundbox. I agreed with the reviewer of "The Caxton Hall Tests" of 1925.
" My own opinion is that both the E.M.G. and the Apollo were handicapped by the sound-boxes they used."

I'd love to see better pics and some of the Super IV too, please.
I concur. The soundbox is the weak link. I stripped and rebuilt it yesterday but the fascia detracts from the sound and overall the quality is a bit distant and grainy.

I'm using a Meltrope II with it currently but I've tried the Expert soundboxes and they are unsurprisingly better still.

I have an Orchosol rebuilt but with its original life belt in good soft pliable condition. I'd try that but I'm put off by its inability to play fibre needles, a handicap which the Apollo soundbox also suffers from!

The horn is magnificent though.

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Re: Apollo Super 9

Post by Steve »

chunnybh wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 3:19 am Made by Messrs. Craies & Stavridi, I believe the Apollo models are under rated.
The only thing that lets them down is the soundbox. They sound fantastic with a Meltrope III or any EMG soundbox. I agreed with the reviewer of "The Caxton Hall Tests" of 1925.
" My own opinion is that both the E.M.G. and the Apollo were handicapped by the sound-boxes they used."

I'd love to see better pics and some of the Super IV too, please.
I concur. The soundbox is the weak link. I stripped and rebuilt it yesterday but the fascia detracts from the sound and overall the quality is a bit distant and grainy.

I'm using a Meltrope II with it currently but I've tried the Expert soundboxes and they are unsurprisingly better still.

I have an Orchosol rebuilt but with its original life belt in good soft pliable condition. I'd try that but I'm put off by its inability to play fibre needles, a handicap which the Apollo soundbox also suffers from!

The horn is magnificent though.

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Re: Apollo Super 9

Post by Steve »

poodling around wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 3:31 am
Steve wrote: Sat Jun 05, 2021 12:46 pm I've just added an Apollo Super 9 gramophone to my collection to go with my Super 4.

The internal horn is a 24" diameter papier mache horn, similar to a Wilson Panharmonic but it has three 90 degrees bends to cleverly "fold" it into a cabinet barely big enough to contain it. This is like an EMG crossed with an HMV.

The cabinet copycats the HMV 194 re-entrant style. Or was Apollo first?

I'd like to know the exact date of these. The sound is amazing but I particularly like the provision of record storage behind the motor board where the lower half of the back of the cabinet conceals the final bend in the horn. There is no wasted space anywhere. It has it all.
Just to digress for a moment. I don't know anything about piano's but, as with most things, I know what I like.

You seem to have very nice (walnut ?) piano as well as this lovely gramophone.
That sadly isn't my piano or house! The photos were taken by the seller prior to me buying it.

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Re: Apollo Super 9

Post by Steve »

emgcr wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 3:29 am Wonderful Steve and many congratulations---evidently quite a find ! Any chance of a video of it in action ?
Thank you, Graham. I've never made a video but maybe now's the time to figure out how. Presumably I need to upload it to YouTube?

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Re: Apollo Super 9

Post by nostalgia »

Vow, what a beautiful gramophone. Congratulations, Steve :clover: :)
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Re: Apollo Super 9

Post by Steve »

Thank you, Martin. It is a beautiful machine, more the surprise that it was languishing on Ebay for several weeks without a single offer. I had made a cheeky offer at the outset pointing out (quite honestly) that cabinet machines don't fair well in the UK. The seller and I eventually settled on a mutually agreeable sum and it was delivered to me yesterday from Newcastle-upon-Tyne where it was originally sold and spent its entire life.

The remarkable thing is that it has never been restored or touched up in its life. The bright red French polish is the original finish in an astonishing state of preservation. I've not seen a better mahogany cabinet anywhere.

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