"Swedish" Gramophone "Saturn"?

[DrCreek]

Hej,


I bought a gramophone I found in a second hand shop...it was totally impulse buy...it was only 100kr (about 10 bucks) and I'm not a Gramophone person, but I have a passion for audio and a lot of respect for these machines.

I'm not really interested in it's "value" or "worth" and won't be reselling it....I hope to tidy and fix it up and keep it in the best working order I'm able to. I've already bought a few "Stone Cakes" as they call shellac records here...but I'm too scared of damaging the machine or the records to play them for more than a few seconds.

I'm mostly just like to know any history about it, if it has any significance or story behind the model worth knowing....and if possible some advice on the best way about restoring it to it's former glory....

It does work....but it's VERY mechanically loud...the shop said it was probably broken (and they didn't have the power cable for it.... )

But once I got it home I wound it up and it just kind worked....

Someone has clearly been inside it before....not for a very long time but when they did it they didn't do it many favours....

The only thing I have done mechanically is remove the plate...and under it, it is seemingly a genuine "thorens" part...which made me think it was a "thorens" and the model name was "Saturn" but after looking around more..that isn't the case I think...more likely a German knock off using thorens parts...

But any light anyone can shed on what it is, when, where etc.... and also any advice on to how to go about making it not sound like some kind of rusty meat grinder.....would be very appreciated.

[YouTubeHD]https://youtu.be/fBJVv_-ANMc[/YouTubeHD] (edit <--- Better view in the video)

[gramophoneshane]

Well for starters you're putting the needle down on the wrong side of the record.
Put it on the record edge closest to the rear and it will sound and play much better.
You also have to change the needle after playing ONE side of a record

[mrrgstuff]

The only thing I have done mechanically is remove the plate...and under it, it is seemingly a genuine "thorens" part...which made me think it was a "thorens" and the model name was "Saturn" but after looking around more..that isn't the case I think...more likely a German knock off using thorens parts...

I'm certainly no expert on these things but genuine Thorens motors I understand were sold for use in other machines and there were also unbranded motors of a thorens type design being made.

Interesting machine and would be good to see more pictures of the outside of the case.
Thanks:)

[epigramophone]

Saturn soundboxes were available as accessories (pictured) and are fairly common, but yours is the first Saturn branded gramophone I have seen. Your soundbox appears to be of later date than the gramophone, a popular period upgrade to enable older machines to cope with the new (1925 on) electrical recordings.

As others have said, Thorens were major suppliers to the gramophone trade.

[DrCreek]

Well for starters you're putting the needle down on the wrong side of the record.
Put it on the record edge closest to the rear and it will sound and play much better.
You also have to change the needle after playing ONE side of a record

I bought a little box of needles!

[DrCreek]

She’s a chunky wee thing.

[mrrgstuff]

The lid is surprisingly chunky and almost looks like an afterthought as the motor board is not inset into the case. Maybe it was originally designed as a lidless model?
Nice looking inside and was great value for money in my opinion

[gramophoneshane]

The lid is totally original to design of this machine. These squared off lids were very common on machines made in Switzerland and Germany around the start of WWI, and infact my Thorens catalogue reprint shows 10 different table models with such a lid, although none are a match to this Saturn.
Thorens gave their machines numbers and model names in the catalogue like No.218 Magic, No.238 Orient, and No.242 Durban, so it's entirely possible that this Saturn was made at the Thorens factory, rather than by one of the hundreds of gramophone manufacturers around the world who simply bought Thorens parts to put into their own locally made cabinets.

[mrrgstuff]

The lid is totally original to design of this machine. These squared off lids were very common on machines made in Switzerland and Germany around the start of WWI, and infact my Thorens catalogue reprint shows 10 different table models with such a lid, although none are a match to this Saturn.

Thanks, that's good to know. I've not seen this type of squared off lid before.

[jboger]

Have a look at the 1929 Thorens catalog, which can be found here:

Code: Select all

https://www.graphonogram.com/4-documentation.html#form

.

Scroll down the list and find item number 44. That's the catalog entry. Click on the icon all the way to the right. You may find some models very similar to yours.

No. 205, The Sphinco, looks a bit like yours.

John