EMG Mark Xb ('Export') serial 657 in Australia - new member

[emgcr]

Ah ha ! The data base is really pretty small to date and I have to say there has not been a huge amount of input since the idea began. The whole thing is most informal at present. When I get a moment I shall list what we have but it sounds as though your programme might be a good way to go. Time is my problem---as for most people I imagine !

The only export machines I have evidence of are the ones already posted/referred to above. I think the machine I saw sold at Bonhams is the one Chunny says is now in Japan.

I have just had a reply from Frank who says that in his experience EMG/Expert owners are not keen on letting the world know of their possessions. This, of course, is understandable to a certain extent and it would not be necessary to disclose ownership but model totals, distinguishing features and specification etc could be listed in a general way. Your idea of allocating numbers seems to be eminently sensible---but certainly not Rankin numbers please ! Such a system would safeguard anonymity.

Frank also comments that the assertion of 1932 being the year of the bronze plaque unfortunately cannot be relied upon:

"I don't think that is correct. I do know of machines with plaques that originated in 1932, but never had enough numbers to reach any firm conclusion. They did seem to be supplied for a very short time, but exactly when and for how long I simply do not know. A possible way of discovering this secret might be to compare Ginn's claims of how many machines sold, with what we do know about the bronze plaques - there must be some connection ? I guess when it became clear that Ginn could just inflate his figures in response to EMGs numbers on the plaques, the practice was abandoned, but that is just speculation."

So we are still much in the dark but input from all sources will be more than welcome.

[Jozwolf]

Hi Graham,

Note that there is another machine serial number 203 - for an Xb sold at Christies (Lot 53, 31 July 1996).

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/ ... 7e56bcac86

Unfortunately no picture is provided of the machine.

All the best,

Jim

[Orchestrope]

In response to EMGER there are two photo's posted and I don't even remember sharing those, of the early stages of rebuilding the IX export horn. They were taken at my old dinning room turned EMG erecting room in California. My two tall Luminaire fan lamps are flanking the project. At the early stages the horn reminded me of a surprised goose wearing a neck bandage. The second photo shows the thinner early patch, the first photo reflects the thickening of the repaired boot side as I was building and smoothing the surface. It was a very exciting time as I originally figured the horn was a total loss and suddenly it was standing proud. For the critic's I want to add that the amazing design of the horn still allows it to give excellent tonal results. They just can't sound bad! Bill Davis

[Jozwolf]

Hi Graham (and everyone),

Since I had done a bit of a troll of references to Mark IX through Xb and had zotted the results into a simple database I thought I might put the result up on a temporary website for you to have a look at and see how it aligns with yours, and of course for suggested additions and changes. You will see I have added in quite a few auction outcomes as well as everything people have mentioned here as we have chatted about my machine and associated issues, giving about 71 references to existing machines.

I have not gone through Frank's book to add the references he makes. That could be for another day. I have tried to include references to other machines in this forum, but given there are 120 odd pages of discussion I will not have captured them all!

I have included your wonderful register as you provided and where there is a reference to one of those machines I refer to it by your register number.

Perhaps you would like to have a look at what I have put there. It can all be changed, or indeed vanish from the web. I really just did it for me so I could follow the discussion in a methodical sort of way. For the new boy it gets confusing without some sort of reference base. And of course I will probably have missed the fact that one machine I think I am talking about is actually another which is referred to in another spot - definitely a trap for an inexperienced player!

You can view my list at: http://metastudies.net/Gramophones/index.html

Clicking on the links takes you to folders first divided by Mark, and then within those a folder for each machine, and clicking on those folders reveals what information I have, including any photos about that particular machine.

Oh - the response I have received from the Director of the The Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation was pretty much as my and your inclinations - don't put anything new on the surface of the horn, but just lightly rub it with a smoke sponge to remove that which can be taken off that way. I will have a chat, at her suggestion, to the more senior paper conservator to see if there is any more that can usefully be done to restore the earlier paper look. It is very frustrating because if the surface is moistened the pattern emerges much more clearly. However, moisture is not a good idea for papier appliqué especially when the original glues are unknown.

All the best,

Jim

[epigramophone]

As promised, I forwarded the pictures of the soundbox to Frank James who has responded with the following suggestions :

"The fact that the diaphragm is mica and the needle holder has been filed down might indicate a special tuning for a particular purpose or type of record, but that is as far as anyone can say. Other boxes with aluminium diaphragms have also had the needle holder filed to a triangle, but the reasons and whether they were effective have long been forgotten."

"As to originality, may I suggest that the first step might be to replace all the rubbers and diaphragm gaskets and test the mica to see how it performs, but also to have an aluminium diaphragm to hand to experiment with. It will still be possible to revert to mica if that produces the better sound, and there would be no loss of originality as the gaskets would have to be replaced anyway."

"How wonderful that such a machine so long unused should now turn up, to be cherished and returned to give joy once more!"

"Hope this is helpful,

Frank."

Jim, please continue to post details of any progress that you make, and I will report back to Frank.

Roger.

[Jozwolf]

Dear Roger,

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to do that, and also of course to Frank for his invaluable and highly expert reply. I had no idea the needle holder had been filed down. Very interesting.

Now Frank says that all the gaskets need replacing. Actually the soundbox in its current state works quite impressively, although the sleeve connecting it to the tonearm rubber is perished and I will be replacing it with one bought from Chunny. At the moment I am using rubber tape wound around the tonearm sleeve to enable the soundbox to be held, but it is an inadequate arrangement. Nevertheless - even now, with this 'chewing gum solution' and a rather worn record and steel needle, I get an impressive sound.

Once I have fitted the new gasket from Chunny, my next step is to try sharp thorn needles. I have just purchased a Davey Rollright thorn needle sharpener (along with a packet of 10 unused thorn needles). So once the gasket is fixed and the thorn needle in place I will try the gramophone with a record which is in good shape. I have some! That will be interesting to see what improvement I get.

I could then move forward to get the gaskets and an aluminium diaphragm to try out on the soundbox as Frank suggests. Doing that sounds a little daunting because I would hate to damage the sound box in the course of trying that. So the alternative is to purchase a Meltrope or similar with an aluminium diaphragm already in place. In any case, if I were to do as Frank suggests I would also need to find an aluminium diaphragm. Once more I don't have a good idea where to get one of those or how to fit it.

Maybe I can get some guidance here on what would be involved if I was to try and fit an aluminium diaphragm to my existing soundbox - where I would get the rubber gaskets, diaphragm, etc Although this machine has been in my possession for so long, in terms of restoring it I am a really new boy in this and so will tread quite cautiously. I know how easy it is to damage an antique instrument through ignorance, or just break an irreplaceable part. Frank is so expert he probably does not see the hoops to be jumped through by an uniformed newbie! Still I am keen to learn.

Thanks again, so much, and any advice on this will, as always, be very much appreciated.

Warm good wishes,

Jim

[chunnybh]

Well done Jim,
Very industrious of you. Good to see so many EMG's listed all in one place.

[Jozwolf]

Thanks Chunny,

For anyone who did not pick it up, the above refers to a list of IX to Xb gramophones at

http://metastudies.net/Gramophones/index.html

I could continue to update it if people find it useful. But I know Graham has a database which is probably more comprehensive so either I update this with any additions from him, or he puts his on the web for our more general edification (a task I am happy to help him with).

Warm good wishes,

Jim

[emgcr]

Hello Jim,

Sorry not to have replied sooner but I have been away from computers for a few days---quite nice really !

Many thanks for all your splendid efforts which I am sure will be appreciated by everyone. I think what you have initiated will germinate and merrily grow over the years. I am more than happy to contribute to your master list from time to time and perhaps you would be kind enough to let me know the best way to do this please ? Perhaps we could swap email addresses via a pm (personal message) to establish a modus operandi ?

Best wishes, Graham.

[Jozwolf]

That's great! OK - have sent you the details in a personal message.

Warm good wishes,

Jim