The Gakken Premium Gramophone Kit

[Victor A]

Hey everyone,

I want to get my nephew into this excellent hobby, so I thought i'd buy him a little something to get him started. I don't want to buy him a full fledged antique machine yet, since he is fairly young and his parents are a little wary of him handling records, etc. etc., so I considered buying him the Gakken kit (link below).

Would you guys recommend it?

LINK:
http://www.juno.co.uk/products/gakken-p ... 512847-01/

[Uncle Vanya]

How young is he?

I was given my first machine (my great grandfather's Victor V) when I was five, and played the heck out of it.

A little machine, say a late pre-war or post-war portable with a General Industries motor and an aluminum diaphragm reproducer would stand up well to a youngster's handling. There are lots of fun, tuneful, appropriate discs which are worth little to nothing, and would help the tyke to learn a bit about music (and incidentally how to play and care for records).

[RolandVV-360]

I don't really suggest it. The build quality is not great, and the spring isn't very strong. Also, the machine is really only safe to play 78s. It can only use "ultra-wide groove" steel and fibre needles, which, along with the tracking force, would wear vinyl tremendously. If he is interested in not only the machines, but the music too, I suggest getting him a simple Califone school turntable. They were made in mind of the rowdy middle school class, and thus can last what seems like forever. Plus, they usually come in 3 or 4-speed variants, so your nephew can play whatever he feels. Califone school models are also very common, and have a low price. It's a better choice and better deal to get a school turntable, IMHO.

The best of you and your nephew,

-Roland

[briankeith]

I got my grand daughter a very nice clean working small Birch portable on EBay for under a hundred bucks!! It has a nice Thorens motor too.

[Steve]

Hey everyone,

I want to get my nephew into this excellent hobby, so I thought i'd buy him a little something to get him started. I don't want to buy him a full fledged antique machine yet, since he is fairly young and his parents are a little wary of him handling records, etc. etc., so I considered buying him the Gakken kit (link below).

Would you guys recommend it?

LINK:
http://www.juno.co.uk/products/gakken-p ... 512847-01/

Yes, I would. I have one in my collection and for what it is I think it gives a lot of fun!

[Victor A]

I don't really suggest it. The build quality is not great, and the spring isn't very strong. Also, the machine is really only safe to play 78s. It can only use "ultra-wide groove" steel and fibre needles, which, along with the tracking force, would wear vinyl tremendoously. If he is interested in not only the machines, but the music too, I suggest getting him a simple Califone school turntable. They were made in mind of the rowdy middle school class, and thus can last what seems like forever. Plus, they usually come in 3 or 4-speed variants, so your nephew can play whatever he feels. Califone school models are also very common, and have a low price. It's a better choice and better deal to get a school turntable, IMHO.

The best of you and your nephew,

-Roland

Thank you, Roland, and the rest of you as well! I just saw one of those Califones out "in the wild" at a secondhand shop, so I think I'll go back there and make sure it's playable and such.

Thanks,

Jack