HMV model 600 electrola

[gregbogantz]

This just got my attention on eBay, an HMV model 600 electrola:

eBay Item #350515458784

The listing is on Italian eBay, and some of the text on the units is in Italian (e.g. the HMV logo), but the catalog writeup is in English. Was this developed and/or made in England or was this of Italian design and build? Of particular interest would be the speaker system and driver(s). Presumably this is quite early - the valves and amplifier layout have a 1920s look about them. The speaker cabinet is quite large - would this unit include a horn? Large dynamic speakers were not in common use in the USA until about 1930. Does anybody have any information about this early euro electrola?

Greg Bogantz

[syncopeter]

it was definitely not the first model HMV made, but is hugely interesting anyhow. From the advertising blurb I would think it to be early to middle 30s. HMV only made radiograms using electrodynamic speakers.

[Skihawx]

This is very cool! I've never seen pictures of anything like this. Too
bad the desk with pick up is not present. The speaker looks very interesting.
It may be an electrodynamic speaker. Definitely from the late 20s' early
30's. Also looks to be refinished or coated with something. Still very
neat piece!

[FloridaClay]

Really interesting!

Here are some of the pictures, so they don't get lost when the listing goes down.

Clay

[Tobia]

I'm from Italy and I can say that I've seen this listing for months. They tried to sell it for 15000 euros with the "buy it now" option for a long time and then the request was lowered of about 10000 euros, with a start price of 5500, as you can see in the pictures.
It's an interesting machine but the owner surely needs to sell it.

[David Spanovich]

I'm not sure if this is the same one that's up for sale now in Italy, but I spotted a reference to one that was installed in the Gramophone Co's Stadium Street shop located in Greece, in 1930 --


REPORT ON VISIT TO GREECE APRIL-MAY 1930 by Edmund Michael Innes (Edited by Hugo Strötbaum 2010)

FROM http://www.recordingpioneers.com/rs_documents.html
(Direct Link to PDF version of the Document -- http://www.recordingpioneers.com/docs/I ... li2010.pdf )

This is from the portion of the jobber's report describing the competition for HMV products in the Greek market --

"The chief importer of Victor goods is Mr. Fokion Demetriades, the brother of Tetos Demetriades, the Victor Artiste. He is almost regarded in Athens as the official agent of The Victor Company, although he handles in his shop Harmony, Melotone, Manhattan, Brunswick (U.S.A.) and Columbia (U.S.A.) products as well as Victor. He occupies the rear portion of a men's outfitting shop21 - 'Old England' - situated next door to our main shop22 in Stadium Street.

"The keenest form of competition imaginable is going on between our Agent and Demetriades. Almost every afternoon the latter starts operating a Victrola electrical reproducer, and the challenge is immediately taken up by our people, who put on, almost invariably to start with, the loudest Sousa military band record on the model 600 which is installed at an open window over the street. The crowds attracted outside the 'Old England' shop move along in a solid mass to our sources of free entertainment, until the police intervene and arrange for both sides to cease fire. Occasionally the Columbia shop, just opposite, also joins in the concert, but they are swamped when our 600 starts."

It's interesting to note that in some of the overseas markets for HMV products, HVM not only competed with Columbia, but with Victor.

DS

[Lenoirstreetguy]

The loudspeaker in that unit is the Schlenker Loud Speaker. It consisted....according to Percy Wilson,....of a large duralumin diaphragm 29 ½ inches in diameter and .002 inches thick. and stretched to it's elastic limit. It was driven by an eccentrically mounted moving coil unit. According to Wilson that off- centre drive was useful in not suppressing mode of vibration with have nodal diameters. I am in haste this morning so I'll scan some pics later.

Jim

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Here is the plate from Modern Gramophones and Electrical Reproducers which shows the loudspeaker outside of the cabinet.

[Reid]

What a beautiful, rare piece. It is the first "DJ" play station.

What are the tubes in the lineup?

I suspect they are the European equivalent of the USA's types:

80, full wave AC rectififer

27, triode amplifier (amplifies the signal from the phono pickup, for the power stage to work with)

50, a pair, in push-pull

=the rheostat knob is, surely an adjustable center tap resistance across the output legs of the power transformer,
turn the knob to obtain the lowest, residual hum at the loudspeaker (it balances out the AC hum from the mains supply).

Date? Can it be as early as 1925? I think so, but don't know.

The tipped-valves (obsolete sort of envelope in the USA by 1925), makes me think it is of that vintage,
and not from, say, the 1930 era, unless the power valves are the HMV equivalent of our type 45s.

Beautiful unit, and super rare. Is this the property of this man?

http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_ueber_ra ... guage_id=2

[gramophone78]

I also think this is a very cool set-up. However, missing the Gramophone/desk part of this is a real shame. I don't think it would be easy to find. Maybe the first owner converted it to a writing desk only. If so, what a shame. Missing this part will also affect the over all value of this.