DGAG horn machine, find of the year, already in February

[nostalgia]

Since we apparently have lost so many photos on the forum, I try to keep my promise, to upload photos of new ( and even existing finds). Yesterday this machine came up for sale 20 minutes away, and it was a very easy decision to immediately skip the breakfast, search the phone number of the seller (since it was not apparent in the ad) call him and quickly drive out to get this machine. It was a nervous drive, since every minute felt important to not lose any time.
Well, it ended well, and here it is, a double spring early DGAG horn machine with a brass horn. Do we call this Monarchs? I already have a triple spring of the same machine, bought in the infancy of my re kindled hobby in collecting from close to 4 years back, a machine that also was shown here on the forum. Because of the G&T Exhibition is manufactured between 1905-12, but myself I am not able to date it more precisely.

The red turntable cloth puzzles me, is it original? If it is original I will keep it, if not I will change it.
We can see the winding handle is not original, it has been replaced and at the same time the escutcheon has unfortunately been removed to fit the new handle, luckily without any drilling done. The good part is that I have an old and ugly HMV horn gramophone cabinet without a motor from the same era, with the same escutheon in my storage locker, so it will be added, while being on another look out for an original handle. I was lucky to find a winding handle for my Intermediate Monarch two years ago, and will cross my fingers for being lucky again, even if it most probably will take some time.

I hope you enjoy the photos.

[jamiegramo]

It’s very nice! The red turntable felt is unlikely to be correct, a colour that is seldom seen on machines of this period and the frayed edge means it is not felt but a woven baize.

Based on your history I dread to think how little you paid for it! It prompted such a rapid departure it must be good.

The stamped recording angel to the base is a nice detail. The horn also has a nice tight fitting to the elbow. No horn sag which is common to Victor/Gramo machines where the horn pegs in at the underside of the elbow.

[nostalgia]

Thank you, Jamie. I also felt the turntable cover is not original, since it is red, and not felt.
Talking about price paid, to not reveal it completely here, I can say I paid 10% of the same machine now being sold on Ebay UK, apart from the fact that the machine on Ebay has its winding handle, has a wooden horn, but also is a single spring machine

[epigramophone]

Another bargain from the land of cheap gramophones . You will be needing to move house soon.
The Exhibition soundbox is a G&T version, so cannot be later than 1907 when the word "Typewriter" was discontinued.
Is the brass horn dented, or are we just seeing reflections in it?
The winding handle was probably removed (and lost) because the replacement handle would not fit through it.
I once bid on a Monarch Senior (with the rare Flaxite horn) where exactly the same thing had happened.

[nostalgia]

Yes, I was thinking the same, the winding handle was lost when they removed the eschutcheon to fit the new unoriginal handle.
Yes, the horn has some dents, but I think I will abstain from trying to hammer them out.
And yes, my house is over crowded with gramophones, but I could not let this one go...so it means..another one needs to go.
Thank you for pin pointing the manufacture date more precisely too, Roger.

[Steve]

How much were they asking for it? I don't know what a machine like this would fetch today. The last one I saw was over 10 years ago and IIRC was about £800.

[nostalgia]

Steve, if you go to Ebay UK and search for HMV Monarch, you will see a pretty similar DGAG machine with a single spring motor, and a wooden horn, but with a winding handle.
I paid 10% of the asking price on the DGAG machine from "vintageengland" on Ebay

[jamiegramo]

Yes, the horn has some dents, but I think I will abstain from trying to hammer them out.
And yes, my house is over crowded with gramophones, but I could not let this one go...so it means..another one needs to go.
Thank you for pin pointing the manufacture date more precisely too, Roger.

You could try my 2 wooden darning mushrooms technique to improve the dents. It’s a fairly safe method that will leave no hammer marks. Place the dented area between 2 wooden darning mushrooms (one on the inside of the horn the other outside) and roll them against each other. Normally starting from the outside areas of the dent and working in. Pressure is needed to push them towards each other. The gauge of brass may be quite thick on this horn so it may not have much effect and will depend on your strength. It has been remarkably effective on smaller thinner gauge horns.

I wanted to ask if there are any other trademarks on the base? I have seen the same model double spring model as this with not just the DG circular transfer decal you have but the ‘GRAMMOPHON’ transfer to the front and the Recording Angel plaque to the other side.

[jamiegramo]

Steve, if you go to Ebay UK and search for HMV Monarch, you will see a pretty similar DGAG machine with a single spring motor, and a wooden horn, but with a winding handle.
I paid 10% of the asking price on the DGAG machine from "vintageengland" on Ebay

That’s the one with horn that looks like it’s melting. Dreadful condition. I think I’d rather have your machine!

[nostalgia]

Jamie, thanks for your suggestion on removing the dents, I will read that closely and consider it, even if just reading your words make me nervous

Here are the rest of the trademarks found on the machine, the same "Grammophon" as on my three spring DGAG, and also...the lost plaque of the Angel.