mix'n'match ??? is it done?

[SteveinAlaska]

As someone new to the hobby, this question has crossed my mind. Given that we sometimes work with what we have at hand, do you find that you would put tonearm A on player B with parts from XX to make a workable unit?

The reason for asking is that I have a Brunswick portable that has a larger sound chamber than the Gypsy player. But the Gypsy has the Oro-Tone Arm that has a tone control and a reproducer that is larger then the Brunswick. I have thought of mounting the OroTone arm on the Brunswick, but it would mean enlarging the hole in the motorboard about ½ to ¾ inch to accomodate this change.

Would like to hear your thoughts.
BTW, Finally was given a REAL Victrola portable player ,finally. A 1926 model, don't recall the model number offhand.

[antique1973]

In general it is going to devalue the machine dramatically if you mix and match
parts that don't belong there. Even more so if you have to drill extra holes or
alter the cabinet in some permanent fashion. Of course as your property you can
do what you like and it all depends on the circumstances. I created a "Frankenphone"
before simply because I had various parts on hand with little value or function
otherwise. When I created it however I did not alter the cabinet in the hopes that
perhaps one day I will be able to complete the project with original parts. If you
just want a personal use machine that you don't plan on selling any time soon there
is no problem really. If altering a cabinet however, its good to give that careful
thought.

Here is my "frankie". Its an Edison London Console cabinet, Brunswick tonearm, Victrola
Platter, Edison Horn, and Flyer Electric motor.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RQL02-G12w[/youtube]

[estott]

If the portables are in good condition don't do it. If they are damaged then maybe- there are a lot of portables out there. Still, give some thought to who ever is going to get your "marriage" in the future and possibly curse you out for mucking around with it.

[brianu]

most people who are serious about their interest in antique phonographs would say no, it's not done - or at least it shouldn't be done. better to focus on preservation and restoration than what otherwise really just amounts to a crafting type project akin to "antiquing" a cabinet rather than bringing back the finish. unless of course you've just basically got a pile of parts that aren't doing anything and, in combining them in a non-original project machine, you're not doing any damage to them - as in the youtube video posted above.

[gramophoneshane]

If you didn't have to take a saw to the motor board, I would have said go for it.
I've done similar myself & probably will again, but only if the "damage" will be hidden by the correct component once found. A couple extra small screw holes underneath the correct tonearm or brake may go un-noticed by future owners for the next 100 years, but this is much more than a screw hole.
If a saw or drill is needed to remove part of the cabinet to make the alteration, it's best left alone.
Alterations like this can sometimes lead to more than you expected too, in both making it & reversing it.
Most tonearm base openings are equal in size to the neck of the horn, and the hole in the motor board bewteen the 2 more or less allows the sound to flow through the chamber smoothly & uninterupted.
By suddenly reducing the sound path by "⅓" when it hits the horn will have some effect on sound quality obviously, but just how much is hard to say being a budget machine anyway.
A worse case scenario is once you've cut the hole bigger, it becomes larger than the entire horn neck & the sound is then escaping it's path and entering the motor space of the cabinet.
If it were me, I'd probablty just find/buy a cheap off-brand tonearm with the same sized opening & approximate length as the original, and use it to make the machine at least usable until the correct arm turns up. You may even get lucky and find one with the same screw pattern/distance on the base, and you wont even have to make extra holes for it.
There's nothing worse than having a dead incomplete machine sitting around, and not knowing if the part needed will turn up in 2 days or 2 years

[noedison]

Wouldn't this then turn the machine into a Frankenphone?

[estott]

It would, but with a couple of fairly low value portables (even if one is a Brunswick) it's not a major crime against nature.