This curious device was marketed in Britain by The Cabinet Gramophone Company, makers of the Fullotone gramophone. I acquired it recently as an accessory for my Chinoiserie Fullotone which is pictured on the "Happy Holidays" 2012 thread.
The repeater itself is inscribed "Cesco. Pat.March 1921. Made in U.S.A."
Does anyone know where in the USA it was made, and by whom?
Despite the manufacturer's claim that no damage will be done to the soundbox, the needle or the record, I am in no hurry to try it!
The Cesco Repeater
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Re: The Cesco Repeater
The speed in which these repeaters reset is startling, given that they do it in one 78 revolution! I have a Gold Sealer repeater that I tried only once! I suppose you could run your turntable much slower, just to watch yours work.
There are certainly many variations on these. Thanks for posting!
Bob
There are certainly many variations on these. Thanks for posting!
Bob
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His Master's Voice Automatic 1A Exponential Gramophone Demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi70G1Rzqpo
His Master's Voice Automatic 1A Exponential Gramophone Demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi70G1Rzqpo
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Re: The Cesco Repeater
Despite the difference in design it probably works like this Geer repeater - at a point near the end the needle rides onto the device & centrifugal force swings everything around. Probably hard on records, but most of these were used for dancing- by the time the record wore out you were tired of it.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5c6zM2jaks[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5c6zM2jaks[/youtube]
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Re: The Cesco Repeater
A number of years ago I restored a Brooks Repeating Phonograph a friend bought for me at an auction for $80 with instruction manual. Works great and plays any size record or a portion of the record up to a switch selected 8 times, automatically shuts itself off and suspends the tone arm when finished. The was complete and in really great condition. The tone arm base (pot metal) was trash but George V. had one.
These repeating devices are ingenious. As far as trashing the reproducer and or record this Brooks is about as easy on the equipment as one could expect. I spent at least a week getting the thing to work right and made a vow to never go back in there and diddle around with anything. Cheers
These repeating devices are ingenious. As far as trashing the reproducer and or record this Brooks is about as easy on the equipment as one could expect. I spent at least a week getting the thing to work right and made a vow to never go back in there and diddle around with anything. Cheers
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Re: The Cesco Repeater
Here is video of the repeater in action
- Attachments
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- IMG_4465.mov
- The repeater in action
- (32.24 MiB) Downloaded 47 times
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Re: The Cesco Repeater
I am still having difficulty picturing the value of repeaters being used with single play needles.
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Re: The Cesco Repeater
I really suspect that modern operators are more faithful to the single play "rule" than folks were back then.gramophone-georg wrote: Sat Jun 14, 2025 11:52 pm I am still having difficulty picturing the value of repeaters being used with single play needles.
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Re: The Cesco Repeater
I've wondered the same thing. They would work better with an electric motored machine using a sapphire stylus...gramophone-georg wrote: Sat Jun 14, 2025 11:52 pm I am still having difficulty picturing the value of repeaters being used with single play needles.
Maybe Jerry's idea is correct and that would explain why so many records appear to be played to death with worn out needles.
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Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife
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Re: The Cesco Repeater
I've got a feeling these were used primarily for dance records, many of which would have a short lifespan of popularity anyhow.Curt A wrote: Fri Jun 20, 2025 6:37 pmI've wondered the same thing. They would work better with an electric motored machine using a sapphire stylus...gramophone-georg wrote: Sat Jun 14, 2025 11:52 pm I am still having difficulty picturing the value of repeaters being used with single play needles.
Maybe Jerry's idea is correct and that would explain why so many records appear to be played to death with worn out needles.