Help with identifying phonograph?

[A Bateman]

Hello!

I'm extremely new to this whole thing, and wanted more information on the player that I found. I've searched google and read all the forum posts I could find that might be related, but haven't been able to find anything concrete, but that honestly might just be because I don't know where or what to look for!

I don't know any correct terminology, so I apologize in advance. It seems like the whole thing minus the actual player is custom made and doesn't have any identifying marks, so I'm assuming it's probably a really cheap version.

It works, but I think something must be broken because there's the thing that pushes against the turntable (see pic) that makes an awful scratching noise that's louder than the music, so I never use it just in case it's causing damage. I mainly want to know if it's something that can be fixed and where I should even get started.

Any information would be so appreciated! Thank you so much!

[Lucius1958]

Looks rather odd: where are the amp & speaker located? If there are none, are there any leads that could be connected to a radio? That's an electric pickup and tone arm: without an amp & speaker, you would hear very little sound at all.

As for the "thing that pushes against the turntable", that's the brake. There should be a piece of felt or leather in it, to stop the turntable without any noise. I'm not sure whether it should have been placed a little further out, if it is still scraping when disengaged.

Pardon me for seeming too blunt; but this machine looks as though it was cobbled together by some amateur enthusiast.

- Bill

[epigramophone]

I agree that this machine is the work of an enthusiastic but misguided amateur.

The brake is missing it's operating lever and is permanently rubbing against the turntable, hence the scraping noise.
It should look like this :

[Inigo]

This has a BTH pickup. You must look for the cables going from the head inside (along) the tonearm and through the base, that should pop up under the board. These must have length enough to go out by the back of the machine to be connected to a tube radio with phono input. You use the amp of the radio to listen to the music, setting the radio selector in PHONO. They sound very good when properly restored. These old pickups have a magnet inside that may have lost its power and needs to be re-magnetised. But simply sticking to it one of the modern very tiny and powerful neodymium magnets (they are the size of a button) can make it work.
It also has delicate coils that generate the electrical signal to be fed up to the radio. These might be ok, or might be spoiled by age. Usually, when applying an ohmeter to the terminals, should read a high impedance, maybe 1000-2000 ohms. Then it is ok.
And the last, but not the least, is the status of the rubber dampers. These usually are found dry, hard and dead. You'll have to replaced them with new supple rubber pieces (or soft silicone) cut in the same shapes and inserted in the original places.
Be careful with the coils, they are delicate and prone to break the fine wiring when manipulated.

[A Bateman]

You guys are amazing! Thank you so much!

It does have wires going out the back, but you can still hear it when it's played even without being connected to anything. It's just slightly muffled. I thought it was a little odd.

It came with the piece that is missing off the brake, I just didn't know what it was, and that makes sense about it needing felt or something.

It definitely feels like it's just been pieced together, but where it's the first one I've ever found I got excited about it anyways. Haha. Thank you so much for your responses!

[Inigo]

Take care of it. We'll help and guide you thru the restoration process. Be careful and patient, and delicate. Get and old valve radio to hear the records thru it. You'll be marveled at the good sound it can produce! Go on, if you're brave and patient you'll get it working!