Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

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kirtley2012
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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by kirtley2012 »

The motor fitted is a Garrard U5, It was very noisy and in desperate need of an oiling, I have gone through and oiled it and the noise is diminished, though with the lid closed is barely noticeable, and it keeps good speed, I've also removed the redundant arm rests on the motor board.

The soundbox is a large diameter EMG 2 spring, it required new screws for the springs as one does not have the right thread, new screws are on order and should be a great sounding soundbox when complete (The IX's soundbox is on the left, compared to the large diameter EMG 2 spring I got recently on my EMGCR Xb Oversize)
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Ahmed
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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by Ahmed »

Gosh, that is just awful! And he'd clearly put a fair bit of effort into all that destruction as well :evil: oh dear, what's wrong with people!

So glad it has been adopted by just the right guy to make it whole again. Looking forward to how this one turns out!

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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by old country chemist »

Hi Alex! Another nice little project for you to work on. I am sure all of us on the forum will look forward to hearing and seeing this gramophone when it has been through your capable hands. Roll on that day!

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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by kirtley2012 »

Well Happy Halloween!, here's a fright for you

It seems the previous owner cut away much of the original horn and attempted to re-build it from aluminium ducting, wire, fiberglass and body filler, a date was found in the layer of newspaper of February 14th 2019, given the gramophone sold on January 30th, the horn was destroyed in short order, chipping away all the rubbish around the casting will be fairly arduous in itself.
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But having oiled the motor and re-united it with a good horn, I did a video of the poor IX in action, fitted with a Meltrope II as the EMG soundbox is awaiting screws to arrive.


(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)


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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by emgcr »

That really has to be the worst horror story we have all had the misfortune to come across surely ? More of a "goodbyeforevereen". I sincerely hope you will be able to rescue the casting and then use that as the basis for a new horn---a challenging project indeed but I know you will rise to the challenge. More strength to your elbow Alex. The replacement horn sounds excellent and is clearly very happy to be back on a Mk IX base unit. Well done---a symbiotic marriage.

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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by Orchorsol »

Hideouser and hideouser! But wonderful to see the base united with a familiar horn - it must be breathing a sigh of relief to itself!
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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by kirtley2012 »

And thus starts the case improvement, the nasty thick polyurethane finish will be stripped off later today ready for refinishing in correct nitrocellulose lacquer
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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by kirtley2012 »

I will be refinishing the deck boards to match the rest of the cabinet and improve the sight of some of the more mild bodging, and I will take that chance to fill in the various holes that have been drilled or screwed into it over the years with oak plugs, I do however believe that the fitment of the electric tonearm was likely the reason it went back to EMG after 1948, but among a few hole plugs on the deck boards there are a couple of turned plugs better executed than the rest, these are covering tonearm rest positions, this known by the screw indentations on the underside of them matching the screw on the arm rest.
One plug is in the original position the tonearm rest would have been (1), this would need moved or else the two tonearms would 'crash' in resting position, but there's a fun bit of EMG trial and error, position 2 being the first attempted tonearm rest move before realising the arm would foul on the lid stay, before it was moved to the final position (3) I will be undoing the electrification and reverting it to how the gramophone first left the works in '47 or so with the tonearm rest in the original (1) position
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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by IainW »

Alex, What is the brown pillar like object, that looks like a chess piece, to the right of the turntable for? Also do you think the lizard like paper on the inside of the horn is the original finish?
Iain

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Re: Twisty horn EMG Mk IX - So, how bad was it?

Post by kirtley2012 »

IainW wrote: Mon Nov 01, 2021 12:59 pm Alex, What is the brown pillar like object, that looks like a chess piece, to the right of the turntable for? Also do you think the lizard like paper on the inside of the horn is the original finish?
Iain
I wondered that myself but I have no idea, it seems to serve no purpose that I can see but who knows what was once mounted there.

Re the inside paper, it could be, if not I would like to know where he got it, the only thing that made me think it wasn’t was that the structural paper underneath it was unlike any other horns I’ve worked on before, but this was a late (post war) horn so construction methods could have changed from the mid 1930’s examples, parts of it look to be done in a slightly rough way but with EMGs anything potentially goes, I know I spent a long time looking for suitable internal papers when I was unsure if I could save the internal papers on my Xa, and never found these, I will try to save those papers, and potentially the entire bell, especially if deemed original, as it could be good to keep for repair of other horns

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