Unusual Trade - EMG for Veteran/vintage motorcycle

[kirtley2012]

This has been on my mind for a little while, I know that automotive interest and gramophonic interest can sometimes operate in close circles, so I thought it may be time to see if the idea sticks.

In 2020 during the lockdown I became enamoured (more obsessed) with most things automotive but mainly vintage and veteran motorcycles, the so called "flat tank" bikes, to the extent I scratch-built a replica teens era belt drive motorcycle, however it's been plagued with ignition issues (If you know Villiers engines, you'll understand), and it was not built to be road legal, more a back track machine, I've since been trying to seek out an original veteran motorcycle I can actually use, but the guitar company still being in it's fledgling state and taking my all, the opportunity hasn't financially arisen, which is where this comes in.

I am proposing a trade for my EMG slope case Mk Xa (Or the MK Xa with Improved Mk IX case) with 4 spring EMG soundbox, the slope case model first appeared in EMG catalogues in 1936, after both the Xb and Xb Oversize had been introduced, these gramophones have occasionally appeared, most with Mk IX horn's, some with Wilson horns (totally impractical but we'll get to that), and in this case an Xa horn, although the catalogue did advertise an Xa horn, this is the only known example to have an Xa horn.

My theory on these models, and what I believe to be true is that during the height of the depression, EMG being a small company was trying to keep themselves afloat, and by 1936 the Mk Xa had been superseded, so to make a little extra money they created the "Mk XA with improved Mk IX cabinet" using left over parts from the Xa era, this model featured an Xa conduit, Xa horn (at first) standard tonearm and motor, but featuring a cabinet that was likely intended to be a Mk Ix (the size is the same) but the lid cut at an angle rather than in half to create the ledge for horn mounting, they likely had more conduits than horns, so when the Xa horns ran out they switched to Ix horns, some snuck out with Wilson horns likely as there were some left over, like I say, this is the only known one with Xa horn.

I still love and use this gramophone, and it is NOT for sale, but I will trade for a single cylinder flat tank motorcycle, not after anything mint, I don't think I would want anything mint, a little bit of a project is fine, but it's a world I want to get into, if anyone has a bike and is interested in a trade I can be messaged on here or at alexanderkirtley@hotmail.co.uk

Many thanks