Talking Machine Stories

[Django]

In case there is some confusion regarding the "Pull Start Canadian Berliner", here she is, (and was). Another story for another time.

[Phono-Phan]

Great thread Jerry. My story isn't of a purchase but rather a repair. Several years ago, a couple brought me an Edison Banner Standard to look at. It was all taken apart in a box. Very dirty also. The wife told me it was her grandfather's and he is now in a nursing home. The family was going through his house and clearing it out to prepare it for sale. She told me that everyone just wanted to throw it out. She heard of me and that I work on old phonographs. I told her that it looks like everything is in the box and that I would get it working again. Well, everything was there, just very dirty and caked with dried out grease. I cleaned everything and got it working. There was also a small box with it that had 6 records in the boxes. One of them was a brown wax record. I played it and it turned out to be a home recording from her grandfather talking about how well the farm did that year. There was also others talking and laughing in the background and some other names were mentioned. When they came to pick it up, they wanted to know how much I needed for the repair. I told them that it just took time and that I didn't want anything. I then told them about the record. I played it for them and the wife began to tear up. I told her that it would be worth more to me that she takes the phonograph to the nursing home and play it for her grandfather then get paid for the repair. It is amazing how close the phonograph and that home recording came to being thrown out.

[alang]

Not a machine purchase. A few years ago I found an add on the local Craigslist with a picture of ONE green Amberol cylinder in box for $2. I didn't really want to drive 20 miles for a single cylinder, so I contacted the seller if they had more. It turned out that they had inherited boxes with over 100 cylinders, so I drove there to have a look. They had a stack of boxes with a mix of black wax cylinders, including some green Amberol. I asked for a total cost and they wanted $150 which I was happy to pay. I was about half way home when they called and told me that they just found another box with cylinders and if I wanted that as well. It was a large heavy 2 sided wooden cylinder suitcase with maybe 80 all green Amberol in correct boxes and lids which set me back another $100. They appeared happy that they got rid of everything at once and I was happy to go from maybe 30 cylinders I owned to over 300 in one day.

Andreas

[CharliePhono]

Many of us no doubt have war stories regarding a bit too much of spiritus frumenti (reference Jerry stating the price sounded better after beer). About thirty years ago, I was getting ready to show off my newly-acquired Credenza to a group of friends whom I had invited to a Christmas party. I thought it sounded wonderful and wanted my friends to see and hear just how wonderful. I placed a good jazz record on the turntable, lowered the reproducer, and proudly demonstrated how the large lid closed with a soft "bump."

What came out was such a cacophony of muted noise and scratching/screeching as to be unlistenable. Obviously, the friends were less than impressed.

Turns out in my revelry I had inserted the needle upside-down in the reproducer . . .

Moral of the story: Booze and phonos don't often mix well.

[Phono-Phan]

Many of us no doubt have war stories regarding a bit too much of spiritus frumenti (reference Jerry stating the price sounded better after beer). About thirty years ago, I was getting ready to show off my newly-acquired Credenza to a group of friends whom I had invited to a Christmas party. I thought it sounded wonderful and wanted my friends to see and hear just how wonderful. I placed a good jazz record on the turntable, lowered the reproducer, and proudly demonstrated how the large lid closed with a soft "bump."

What came out was such a cacophony of muted noise and scratching/screeching as to be unlistenable. Obviously, the friends were less than impressed.

Turns out in my revelry I had inserted the needle upside-down in the reproducer . . .

Moral of the story: Booze and phonos don't often mix well.

[Inigo]

[emerson]

Well, Saw an Emerson Bergundy model possibly it is the Louis XV renamed when the company changed hands as well as a Blenheim (phono/radio) both reasonably cheap. Both of the families were happy to sell them to me, even though they had been in each family for some time. The reason being none of the children from either family had an interest in them and if I didn't pick them up---they would of most likely went to the curb. Glad they are in the collection----now, just need an Emerson internal horn table model to add the magic touch to the collection

[JerryVan]

Many years ago, I tried to sell an off-brand phonogrpah, in a low-boy cabinet, at a garage sale my aunt was having. During the course of the sale my aunt's neighbor walked over to check things out. He noticed the phonograph and we spoke briefly about it and how I collect them. About 30 minutes later, he called me over to his garage. Sitting on a bench was a nice, but very dirty, Victor III phonograph, missing only the horn. I asked how much he wanted for it. It was mine for the taking, if I wanted it... which I did. Still sitting in a place of pride in my home, with good memories of the nice person who thought I'd like to own it.

P.S. The phonograph I had for sale, went unsold. I loaded it on a trailer to take back home. At the first corner I turned, the phonograph flipped off the trailer and slid down the road, upside down, on its lid. It was repaired as good as possible and eventually sold... at a reduced price.

[epigramophone]

My collecting is well known in our village, and the local Women's Institute (WI) invited me to appear as a guest speaker at one of their meetings. When I mentioned this to a collector friend he turned pale and said "if you want to get out of there alive make sure you include Bing Crosby".
To illustrate my talk I took cylinder and disc musical boxes, a phonograph and two gramophones. The ladies got their Bing Crosby record, and I played the WI Anthem "Jerusalem" to conclude the programme which was well received.
Afterwards while tea was being served, a little old lady told me that there was an old gramophone in her loft. She was unable to get it down herself but would ask a family member to do it.
Several weeks later she telephoned me. While the village handyman was doing a job in the house she asked him to get the gramophone down from the loft. Whilst up there he discovered an extensive woodworm infestation. The entire contents of the loft had to be removed so that treatment could be carried out, and would I like to take away the gramophone?
The gramophone was an HMV Table Grand Model 9 in mahogany. The exterior of the case was in a rough state and the unseen bottom panel had completely disappeared. The triple spring motor was extremely stiff to wind and the original soundbox had been replaced with an HMV No.4. All in all it was not really worth the effort of restoration. I offered to buy it for spares, but the lady insisted on making me a present of it.
After I had dismantled it I took the rear panel of the lid, with it's distinctive "Scroll" transfer to a cabinet maker friend. He cut it into an oval shape and machined a neat bevelled edge. I then covered the underside with velvet and presented it to the old lady as a memento of the gramophone.
I did not take a photo of the result, but here is the design on an oak cabinet :

[Jop Amberola 30]

Wasn’t a phonograph… but in my teen years during the mid 80s I was very interested in antique radios. Worked part time where my mother worked and became very good friends with an older lady that lived with her 90 year old mother. She pretty much trained me on the job when I was 15.

One afternoon my mother called me at home from work saying this lady and her mother had brought me a “present” and it was in the backseat of my mother’s car. Went to work and was shocked to find a pristine late 30’s Zenith 12S232 “Walton’s” radio exactly like the one featured in the popular TV show sitting in the backseat. Easily a $1000+ radio even in the mid 80s.

I thanked her and told her I couldn’t accept something like that… but she wouldn’t hear of it. Her parents bought it new in 1938 and had the electronics fully restored in the 70s. Her and her mother had nobody to leave it to… so she insisted it was mine and enjoy it.

Amazing how good cherished friends really come through for you.