HMV Model 130

[CarlosV]

Thank you for the suggestion. I tried it yesterday, only to find that the box would not fit onto the end of the tone-arm even with the compression-ring completely unscrewed; the red rubber isolator was merely being squeezed down into the body of the box, and I felt there was danger of serious damage if I persisted. And yet you have clearly been able to do this. Obviously I am missing some point, but what can it be? Is it possible that the Meltropes were manufactured with different isolators for different gauges of tone-arm, and that mine happens to have been tailored for the narrower 1925–1929 type?

Oliver Mundy.

yes, Oliver, there are two gauges of rubber isolators, one for the thinner arms and another for the HMVs. Your sondbox certainly has the thin one. These isolators are normally advertised on EBay.

[Menophanes]

Thank you, Carlos! I have ordered one in the larger size.

Oliver Mundy.

[leels1]

Try the Meltrope III on it. I use it in my HMVs now nearly all the time and hardly bother with the 5a/b.

I was pleasantly surprised how it sounds on a 130.

Thank you for the suggestion. I tried it yesterday, only to find that the box would not fit onto the end of the tone-arm even with the compression-ring completely unscrewed; the red rubber isolator was merely being squeezed down into the body of the box, and I felt there was danger of serious damage if I persisted. And yet you have clearly been able to do this. Obviously I am missing some point, but what can it be? Is it possible that the Meltropes were manufactured with different isolators for different gauges of tone-arm, and that mine happens to have been tailored for the narrower 1925–1929 type?

Oliver Mundy.

There are different sizes I believe but to replace all the isolators on all my soundboxes would be expensive so I’ve used a brass plumbing coupling reducer which is a good basic size. It needs some altering and filing to reduce the overall weight and a rubber collar to fit on the tone arm.

Here is one on my 152 with a Meltrope II soundbox and another I made to show you the bit that goes in the soundbox side.

A small screw acts as the retaining pin but really you don’t need that as the rubber holds it in place ok.