HMV 31a issues

[SteveM]

New felt from Walt Sommers. I like it.

[VanEpsFan1914]

I've been enjoying your fixup thread here, and the new felt really does help the machine. Walt carries excellent felt--I have orange "dots" of that same woolen material as lid bumpers on my late-1920s Amberola 30. (The serial number is crazy high--as in, they haven't got a higher one found yet--so I am assuming it is a 1925-1929 machine and dotting it accordingly.)

What are you going to do to fix up the horn? It looks nice with the red horn, but that horn itself looks rather used-up. Anyone in your area who can work on brass instruments? Maybe they could help you fix it.

[Marco Gilardetti]

Which gets me to the point: the only reason why this oddball was provided with a 5A/5B that clearly doesn't belong to it, is that the 4 was no longer being produced.

[SteveM]

Which gets me to the point: the only reason why this oddball was provided with a 5A/5B that clearly doesn't belong to it, is that the 4 was no longer being produced.

Marco, I THINK (not sure and definitely not an expert here) that the 31a (that critical letter "a") only ever came with a "large-bore tonearm." (Probably the same one as on your 163.) Therefore, the No. 4 would have needed to be modified with a larger isolator gasket to fit. Whereas the 5a/b were sitting there ready to be plopped onto this 31a, which is essentially made of scrap/leftover parts.

[SteveM]

I've been enjoying your fixup thread here, and the new felt really does help the machine. Walt carries excellent felt--I have orange "dots" of that same woolen material as lid bumpers on my late-1920s Amberola 30. (The serial number is crazy high--as in, they haven't got a higher one found yet--so I am assuming it is a 1925-1929 machine and dotting it accordingly.)

What are you going to do to fix up the horn? It looks nice with the red horn, but that horn itself looks rather used-up. Anyone in your area who can work on brass instruments? Maybe they could help you fix it.

The horn actually (I can't believe I'm saying this ...) looks better in person. I'm on the hunt for a better one, but can't find anything yet. I would love a big 24-incher. Would also love to find an EMG horn for here at home! A guy can dream.

[OrthoFan]

I would love a big 24-incher.

Would also love to find an EMG horn for here at home! A guy can dream.

I'd settle for the EMG horn -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P1trPQYh_s

OrthoFan

[SteveM]

Here's a video ... using a toothpick, the sound is a bit muted, but I had a house full of people. (Girl Trouble by Eddie Walters)

(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)

[OrthoFan]

Here's a video ... using a toothpick, the sound is a bit muted, but I had a house full of people. (Girl Trouble by Eddie Walters)

How in the world did you get a toothpick to play a record??? I've experimented over the years with a variety of gramophones, all of which had restored sound boxes, and have yet to play more than half a side before the tip wore out and the record sounded like mush. I've tried using different toothpicks, re-sharpening the points, etc., but nothing worked.

(Sorry for my above post, but I couldn't stop myself. I'm guilty of having watched "Are You Being Served" when it was on PBS, and it made me hypersensitive to "double-entendres.".)

OrthoFan

BYW,a rolled up sock makes an excellent volume control for an outside horn model.

[SteveM]

Here's a video ... using a toothpick, the sound is a bit muted, but I had a house full of people. (Girl Trouble by Eddie Walters)

How in the world did you get a toothpick to play a record??? I've experimented over the years with a variety of gramophones, all of which had restored sound boxes, and have yet to play more than half a side before the tip wore out and the record sounded like mush. I've tried using different toothpicks, re-sharpening the points, etc., but nothing worked.

(Sorry for my above post, but I couldn't stop myself. I'm guilty of having watched "Are You Being Served" when it was on PBS, and it made me hypersensitive to "double-entendres.".)

OrthoFan

BYW,a rolled up sock makes an excellent volume control for an outside horn model.

Man .... but 24??? Yikes!
I use these extra hard needles from Amazon. I forget what they’re called but this is what they look like. I use them pretty much all the time at home. I sharpen them with the little rough thingy on my pocket knife. The records have to be at least E though, usually.

[gramophone-georg]

Here's a video ... using a toothpick, the sound is a bit muted, but I had a house full of people. (Girl Trouble by Eddie Walters)

How in the world did you get a toothpick to play a record??? I've experimented over the years with a variety of gramophones, all of which had restored sound boxes, and have yet to play more than half a side before the tip wore out and the record sounded like mush. I've tried using different toothpicks, re-sharpening the points, etc., but nothing worked.

(Sorry for my above post, but I couldn't stop myself. I'm guilty of having watched "Are You Being Served" when it was on PBS, and it made me hypersensitive to "double-entendres.".)

OrthoFan

BYW,a rolled up sock makes an excellent volume control for an outside horn model.

Yes, and that's exactly how the expression "Stick a sock in it!!" came to be. True story.