Genuine, The Gramophone Company made, Gramola

[nostalgia]

What are there to be said about this tabletop, apart from what is found in the
"His Masters Gramophone" book"? Would you say it is collectable? I couldn't find too much information about it here on the forum when doing a search, so I thought it could be worthwhile to have a small talk about it...
I found one for sale..for 120 Euro.

[gramophone-georg]

Always knew you crazy Limeys drove on the wrong side of the road, but you play records on the wrong side too?

Actually, I think that makes it a wreckord.

[nostalgia]

Actually, neither me nor the gramophone is situated in the UK
But yes, obviously the female seller, having inherited the gramophone, know less about the gramophone or how to play 78 rpms on an acoustic gramophone. I guess she just made some pics for illustrative purposes.

[Inigo]

One like this was sold in the CLPGS annual auction in Malvern this early October. I don't remember the final hammer price. One member commented that this tabletop was incredibly light!
This was a modest low priced tabletop made by HMV.

[epigramophone]

The Gramola's hammer price was £40. In the same auction a much better quality and equally rare Vesper table model made only £45. There is no accounting for taste!

[CarlosV]

The Gramola is a rebadged HMV, directed to the lower priced market at the time. HMV also used the brand in Germany. The one on the photos look like the HMV 103, a relatively common machine. If I recall correctly, the one auctioned in Malvern sold at a very low price down to 50 or 40 pounds. Tabletops are not really valued in the collector community. Apart from colonial models, the only HMV tabletop that finds a market today is the 130, which is a high quality machine.

[Inigo]

I'd have taken those two... But imagine what a task to organise shipping Madrid when I was leaving on Monday... ! And the costs! And what my wife would have said if I came back with two more machines...!
I was thinking also to buy a portable, but I didn't dare risking to take it with me to the airport and then have any problem at the security control... I thought I could have been obligated to leave the machine behind, or give it to someone else loosing it...!
For next time maybe I could arrange with any other member to take charge of shipping the machine to Spain for me later for the costs and fees...

[nostalgia]

£ 40 at Malvern, that was really low.
I found this now during an advanced Ebay search, a far better, and very recent, realized price.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gramophone-S ... 7675.l2557
Also the Gramola soundbox sold on Ebay very recently, was sold for around £ 60.
It is rather sad though, that these models go as low as £ 40.
I will see what happens, if the seller can't sell it, I will consider to buy it to save it from oblivion...it is part of HMV history, even if I already knew they are not exactly top models.

[Inigo]

Tabletops are an unappreciated source of enjoyment. I'd have to upload on my YT channel some videos of my hmv127 playing... You'd see what a magnific sound they can deliver. This machine has a modified no4 soundbox (relaxed pressure on the diaphragm edge and sealing of the gap between backplate and front ring with vinyl glue, rubber connector to the tonearm).
Also there's still an additional trick to make them sing with incredible power... It consists of placing the machine on the floor. This way the overall effect is that of doubling the effective area the horn mouth, and the power is this improved further.
Here is the video o of the machine playing, not on the floor, but on a table:
https://youtu.be/ob11Uz6Iw5o

[nostalgia]

Thanks for sharing, Inigo:) It looks and sounds nice, indeed. I also myself have a big interest in tabletops, probably also because I have started to enjoy much restoring also the wooded parts of these gramophones, and love to watch the great craftmanship of the wooden tabletops ( and floor models). Thanks also for the tip on putting the tabletop on the floor for better sound:)
I appreciate also reading about your soundbox work. I have the last month serviced 5 gramophones, and among them 2 double spring barrels, but not yet touched a soundbox. It is upcoming indoor winter work, when my garage room is to chilly for servicing gramophone motors. I know this is very delicate work, and will read and look at videos before starting this work, to not destroy any soundboxes. Most of the soundboxes to service, are HMV Exhibition or No 4 soundboxes, but I also have some less common soundboxes to inspect.