Colonial Gramophones of Swiss Origin

[Sherazhyder]

What a beautiful machine you own ! I feel envy about you. The story of your gramophone is very touching. It’s satisfying that it continues to be in your caring hands.

Actually I feel respect for the manufacturers of Frankenphones. They helped salvage a variety of gramophone motors and other parts. Not all of their products are fitted with abused and rickety motors. I have at least one such gramophone, which has a two spring, noiseless, Thorens motor, an imperial soundbox and HMV’s tone arm supported by a replica, but very smooth, cast iron back bracket, 3.5 kg pure brass horn made in Sialkot globally known for cutlery and brass trumpets and bugles. It came in a rosewood case . The motor board has a HMV break, Thorens speed regulator and a chrome plated needle pot. It came without any decal and claim to originality.

Cheers

[Steve]

By that definition, I think my circa 1907 Victor V would qualify as a Frankenphone!
Victor V -- 2.jpg
Victor V.jpg
(Click images to view full size.)

When I received it from the former owner--the granddaughter of the original owner--some 38 years ago, it has been badly damaged. (The granddaughter's former "boyfriend," call him "Bruno," had picked up the Victor V and thrown it against a wall! Fortunately, the horn was not attached at the time.)

Not only did the case need re-polishing, but one of the three mainsprings as well as the governor springs had to be replaced. The cracked apart motor board had to be re-assembled, with wooden dowels installed inside the joining edges for support. The front board was smashed, so I had to glue the parts together and cover it with a matching piece of oak veneer.

In addition, the horn is an after-market H&S style morning glory horn--repainted about 70 years ago. The horn's elbow is a "reproduction" aluminum replacement. The horn support is held in place with two conventional black painted bolts. (I was told that the originals went missing at the time the granddaughter's father owned the gramophone.) Lastly, the Exhibition sound box, which was rebuilt by the late Bob Waltrip, has a triangular hole and is obviously a replacement for the original sound box.

OrthoFan

I certainly wouldn't classify your machine as a Frankenphone because although it has some reproduction parts the restoration work has obviously been done with a degree of sympathy for the original and it has that integrity of the correct spec parts and appearance. Now if it had a Columbia tone-arm and soundbox that might be different matter!

[OrthoFan]

Many thanks, Sherazhyder and Steve, for the kind words. This was an off again/on again project that took a decade to accomplish. It's still quite not where I want it to be, in terms of the cabinet finish--a little too shiny--but it does match the nearly perfect golden shellac/varnish finish on parts of the inside cabinet, as well as the protected area under the horn support, which had a real "wet shine" look.

OrthoFan

[Steve]

Many thanks, Sherazhyder and Steve, for the kind words. This was an off again/on again project that took a decade to accomplish. It's still quite not where I want it to be, in terms of the cabinet finish--a little too shiny--but it does match the nearly perfect golden shellac/varnish finish on parts of the inside cabinet, as well as the protected area under the horn support, which had a real "wet shine" look.

OrthoFan

Looking at the pictures and your description again, I'd say you have a very fine restored machine there with a replacement elbow (not uncommon these days) and aftermarket horn from H & S, which I know are sought after and accepted in the US as "legitimate" horns for Victor machines as well as Columbia and others. In the UK we didn't really have colourful, special after market products to improve our dull as dishwater HMVs.

You have a fabulous machine which you have carefully repaired and restored. You should be pleased with your efforts. I can only imagine the work which has gone in to it.