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I was out today, getting home a horn for the HMV school model shown in another thread some weeks back. I was lucky to find a German DGAG horn that I can use for this purpose some weeks back, and collected it today. At the same time, I was offered a leather covered Decca trench model at a very good price, and could not resist it. I don't own any Deccas, and I believe this is a pretty early model? I am showing some photos of both the Decca and the horn.
Thanks in advance.

Its a Decca Junior from early 1920s. Looks to be in good order too. Well done!

Its a Decca Junior from early 1920s. Looks to be in good order too, just missing the original knurled thumb screw to tighten the tone-arm in its locked away position. Well done!

Thank you Steve, much appreciated. I hope I can find a close up photo of this missing screw somewhere so I maybe can substitute it, to be able to lock the tonearm in upright position. For 40 euro it was a no brainer, really, and my excuse also was that it is so small that it is more easy to find space for in my overcrowded house and storage locker. How good we are at finding excuses for buying gramophones

The CLPGS publishes a booklet (Reference Series No.35) on Decca Portables to which Steve and I both contributed.
It tells us that your machine is a Solid Cowhide Junior C introduced in Autumn 1925 at £5.5.0, almost double the price of the basic black version. If you remove the turntable you may find a paper label on the motor board showing the exact date of manufacture.

Thank you, Roger.

These are cute little machines, you did yourself a favour by carrying one at home. Very nice unit, with correct soundbox and all, it'll shine like new with some soft rehaul. They also sound remarkably well and loud once the soundbox is rebuilt, and your friends will fall in love with it, especially if you explain to them that models similar to this actually went into the Great War trenches. Motors tend to be very noisy on some units, but hopingly this is not going to be the case. Can a gramophone enthusiast live without a Decca Trench in his collection? No, not really.

Changing subject, is the horn that I see one of those painted as faux-wood paneled horns on the front? If so, I also happen to own one of these (although mine seems twice the size of yours).

The horn on the photo, is bigger than it looks on the photo, its diameter is 58 cm, and according to the seller it has belonged to the machine shown below. As told in another thread ( I am terribly at mixing subjects lately), I bought the horn for my my HMV school model, and this seller offered me the Decca, and just when I was about to leave her premises, she asked if I wanted the rest of the gramophone that the horn had belonged to for free. She was anyway going to put it on the landfill she told me. I said yes, I would love to have it without having seen it, since maybe some parts could be salvaged and used for future repairs etc.

Then she came out of her basement with this machine, what I believe is a Senior Monarch, without bracket and tonearm, parts I most probably never will find, but it is still a Senior Monarch with a old triple spring motor. To me, it looks like the Model VIIa on page 42 in the HMG book, but I can of course be wrong, in particular because of the horn, since I myself thought these horns were only sold with DGAG, German made machines?

Right now, I plan to remove the elbow from the horn, since it is an early version of the HMV elbows, that does not fit the horn entrance on the HMV school model. I would like to use the horn, it is too good looking to be stored away, as the Monarch will be for now.

Two of the photos shows the machine before a general clean up, the last one after a small clean up with Swarfega. I will also remove the steel wires later this week, before the machine is stored away for now.

nostalgia wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 4:08 am Thank you Steve, much appreciated. I hope I can find a close up photo of this missing screw somewhere so I maybe can substitute it, to be able to lock the tonearm in upright position. For 40 euro it was a no brainer, really, and my excuse also was that it is so small that it is more easy to find space for in my overcrowded house and storage locker. How good we are at finding excuses for buying gramophones

Did you find a close up photo of this missing knurled thumb-screw?
If yes - is it possible that you please share the photo?

I have unfortunately not yet had the time yet to follow up on this, it is scheduled for the spring. I will post a photo here if I find it.