Fixed Tone Arm Gramophone

[Steve]

Here's another unusual machine, designed to be transportable with folding teak horn that lies flat in the leather carrying case when in transit. I wonder if this is one of the earliest British portable devices? It is well made and has a unique double-spring motor. Although the "fixed" arm is exponential in taper, the sound has to navigate a long rubber parallel bore tube that gradually moves further into the arm tube as the soundbox crosses the record. By the time the s/box nears the end of the playing surface not much of the "tone-arm" is in use for sound amplification! Curiously one might expect the sound to get appreciably weaker as the record progresses but it doesn't!

The good part of this design is that the s/box is lightweight brass and a typical weight of a tone-arm goose-neck is not added to the needle point. Somewhat surprisingly it works very well indeed. I would say it is touch better than a contemporary HMV horn model with wooden horn. I think this design might date from 1908-ish but does anyone know for sure?

Considering how absolutely appalling the packing was, this example which I purchased from the United States a few years ago (originally from the Garry James Collection), has no right to be in such fine condition. For example the sound-box was sent in a thin cereal box with NO protection around it whatsoever. It arrived crushed to an almost flat oval! Luckily we were able to rescue it and with new screws, diaphragm and rubber back, it is now singing better than ever. One does have to wonder why anyone would send a machine designed to be transported in its own bespoke carrier, in several different inadequate packages, all attracting UK Customs and VAT. Never mind...here it is in the rough awaiting a good cleaning:

[Steve]

A couple more:

[estott]

Very nice! The examples I've seen pictured (courtesy of he-who-shall-not-be-named) lacked the folding horn flare but still sounded quite decent.

[gramophone78]

Steve, What a funky machine. I would love to have one. You mention replacing the rubber back.....is that the tubing your referring to ??.

[Steve]

You mention replacing the rubber back.....is that the tubing your referring to ??.

Yes it is and also the isolating rubber washers used to pack the support arm off the soundbox back-plate.

Estott, yes I know the machine you mention, but I wonder who has that now?

[alang]

Steve, that must be the strangest machine I have seen so far. Absolutely amazing the ingenuity of people to come up with designs like that. Thanks for sharing.

Andreas

[Orchorsol]

Wonderful machine Steve - what an oddity! Interesting that you say the reducing acoustic length makes no noticeable difference to the sound.

What an alarming story. Inexperience in the fragility of such items and in packaging is one thing, lack of common sense another, but sheer careless idiocy is beyond the pale!

[Steve]

Thanks for the comments. It is indeed a strange machine and apparently quite a rarity too.

For reference, that screwdriver shown in one picture is almost exactly 10" long. You can see that it is not a BIG machine and yet it has quite a large sound for its size. It is an ingenious design.

[barnettrp21122]

I love this machine!
These pictures will go on my screen saver! Thanks for posting these!
Bob

[Steve]

You're welcome, Bob!

Does anyone know Garry James whose machine this was some time ago? It is pictured in one of the F & P books, I forget which one.

I'm glad you like it.