My Latest Addition - HMV No.103

[ewok]

I purchased this little guy locally for $40 USD.

It was listed on Craigslist as missing crank and the photo showed a door knob missing. After taking the gramophone home, I discovered that the crank was hidden under the turntable and the door knob was inside the cabinet. There were also many vintage, unused needles.

Machenically, the HMV No.426 single-spring motor was ready to play. It runs about 6 minutes with full wind-up. The No.4 reproducer and its tone arm were both in very good condition.

The cabinet was a little beaten up. The lid had water damage and some veneer delamination. I ironed the areas to reglue the veneer and filled in the pores of the veneer (after very light sanding) with Pumice stone and shellac mix (using the so-called 'French Polish' method). Now I just need the shining shellac finish on the lid to be aged so that the whole cabinet will look more natural.

The test play was better than I expected. I know some people do not like HMV 103 but I have no complaint about how mine performs. Here is the video I posted on youtube (sorry for the quality due to my cheap digital camera!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eESDJhSuIG4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUqmJtTQ_xA

[Phonofreak]

Ewok,
You really scored with this machine.I like the HMV machines. They have a lot of class.Your machine IMO has better volume and clarity than the typical table-top Victrolas. The reason is that long folded horn inside the case. I'm glad a lot of collectors scoff at these machines. I can get a quality Victor product at a very affordable price. If you are serious about the HMV machines, there is a fantastic book available. It is entitled His Master's Gramophone by Christopher Proudfoot. Tim Fabrizio of Phonophan sells them. Good luck with your machine.
Harvey Kravitz

[EdiBrunsVic]

I would like to add my congratulations on a good deal!

[syncopeter]

Those little table top model HMV's sound surprisingly good, quite often way better than most off brand floor standing gramophones. When electric recording was introduced in 1925, Victor immediately started their Orthophonic range. HMV didn't because of crippling licensing costs. Instead they developed a whole line of gramophones using the no. 4 reproducer. Any of these machines is a good buy. They are sweet sounding, equally at home with acoustic and new-fangled electric recordings and produce a nice sound, not too overly loud, fitting to the much smaller rooms we have here in Europe. They were very well made, with a long internal horn that was nearly but just not exponential to avoid patent issues. The portable model 101 has a horn of around 4 feet, cleverly using the angled lid as the final stage. Removing the lid seriously reduces bass performance.
The model 103 was produced in relatively large numbers and is easy to find. A nice original one with a restored soundbox should be around $250 and will easily play 2 to 3 sides on one winding. Apart from some reproducers there is not pot metal (and even that is of high quality), so swelling shouldn't be a problem. The arm's main bearing is a ball race, which means free movement. I actually prefer those early models over the later Re-entrant types. The latter may have better bass, but the former just sound so sweet.

[ewok]

I was at first a bit reluctant in purchasing this HMV No.103 after reading so many negative reviews on several on-line forums. After inspecting inside of the cabinet, I was surprised by the well-made HMV 426 motor (the original grease used might be different kind as it has not hardened) and HMV No.4 reproducer (the gasket is still good). To my ears, the No.4 reproducer sounds even better than the No.5A on my HMV No.145. Of course, the 5A I have is not in its best shape. Furthermore, the HMV 426 motor is not 'underpower' like many people have claimed. If a full winding up can play more than two 10" records, this little tabletop is already good enough for what it is designed for.

[estott]

It sounds as if you've got a very sweet machine. I have a 109 (nearly identical except for the motor) and it copes very well with 30's electric discs and some of the quieter 40's ones. You should replace the gasket eventually. Instead of the special 1 piece gasket you can use rubber tubing on each side- a little tricky to squeeze in but it works fine. Getting the reproducer apart and freeing the old gasket and diaphragm from the body can be tricky.

[Uncle Vanya]

I was at first a bit reluctant in purchasing this HMV No.103 after reading so many negative reviews on several on-line forums. After inspecting inside of the cabinet, I was surprised by the well-made HMV 426 motor (the original grease used might be different kind as it has not hardened) and HMV No.4 reproducer (the gasket is still good). To my ears, the No.4 reproducer sounds even better than the No.5A on my HMV No.145. Of course, the 5A I have is not in its best shape. Furthermore, the HMV 426 motor is not 'underpower' like many people have claimed. If a full winding up can play more than two 10" records, this little tabletop is already good enough for what it is designed for.

The same motor was used in the Victrolas 1-1, 1-2, 1-5 and 1-6. It is a nice enough motor, not at all underpowered, except that it uses a spring winding check rather than the customary ratchet. Should the check spring fail it is rather difficult to find a replacement part.