Another portable followed me home

[FloridaClay]

You might find this of interest:

http://www.phonoland.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1941


I bought it about 15 years ago, and it's a great performer. The one I have has a Paillard sound box, which is identical to this one --



-- but is not marked with the logo.

I was told that the one I have was originally purchased at the Emporium department store, in San Francisco. (Never been able to verify this.)

Joe

Thanks much Joe. The machine in the link is identical to mine, save I guess for the sound box/reproducer. The one I have was originally bought somewhere in New York State, either in Woodhaven or Rockaway Beach, as best the grandson of the original owner (from whom I bought it) can remember.

If you get a chance, could you post a picture of the back of the reproducer on yours? It might be that just the front cover is different on mine. If not I will be on the lookout for a Paillard reproducer for it.

By the way, the back of the reproducer on mine looks like it might be potmetal, but there is no deterioration of any kind if it is.

Clay

[Joe_DS]

If you get a chance, could you post a picture of the back of the reproducer on yours? It might be that just the front cover is different on mine. If not I will be on the lookout for a Paillard reproducer for it.

By the way, the back of the reproducer on mine looks like it might be potmetal, but there is no deterioration of any kind if it is.

Clay

Hi Clay:

A camera, unfortunately, is on my "to get" list for later this year, so I can't take a photo. If it will give you a clue, the back plate of the sound box is held to the front plate by the five screws seen in this photo:


FROM: http://www.grammofonmuseum.no/Reproducer/reproduser.htm

The need-bar pivot is a flat spring type, and works very well if the two screws are adjusted with the right tension.

Joe

[Henry]

Also, as you will see by the pictures, there is a chrome plated frame in the back made to hold something. The instruction book perhaps?

Clay

That's for your operator's license; by law, it must be displayed at all times while running.

[FloridaClay]

Also, as you will see by the pictures, there is a chrome plated frame in the back made to hold something. The instruction book perhaps?

Clay

That's for your operator's license; by law, it must be displayed at all times while running.

Clay

[FloridaClay]

If you get a chance, could you post a picture of the back of the reproducer on yours? It might be that just the front cover is different on mine. If not I will be on the lookout for a Paillard reproducer for it.

By the way, the back of the reproducer on mine looks like it might be potmetal, but there is no deterioration of any kind if it is.

Clay

Hi Clay:

A camera, unfortunately, is on my "to get" list for later this year, so I can't take a photo. If it will give you a clue, the back plate of the sound box is held to the front plate by the five screws seen in this photo:


FROM: http://www.grammofonmuseum.no/Reproducer/reproduser.htm

The need-bar pivot is a flat spring type, and works very well if the two screws are adjusted with the right tension.

Joe

Thanks again Joe. The one I have is different, so maybe I will ask George if he has a good Paillard reproducer when I send him the motor.

Clay

[Joe_DS]

Hi Clay:

Here's a photo -- blown up -- showing the back of the sound box, which I found in this post string:

Capture.JPG (39.13 KiB) Viewed 1920 times

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 11&t=16173


Joe

[gramophone78]

Clay, I'm not certain the correct reproducer will have the Paillard name. These "Paillard" marked reproducers were generally used on machine's sold under their brand name (like my red one that Joe has used from the European section). The reproducer shown is called a Maestrophonic #13. They were also sold individually. So, I guess you could put one on. Like Paillard motors; the company sold these "export" items to many companies to be used on their own machine's and were made more "generic"or even with that companies name added. The #13 reproducer will sell for good money if found in good condition. I have used mine on a Victrola XVII and the sound produced is wonderful.

These #13 reproducer's are very well made and do not have a potmetal back.

Here are other versions made by Paillard & Thorens that were "generic" and used on portables for the export trade. Here is a pic of a drawer with several "generic" versions including a #13 which I now own.

[FloridaClay]

Thanks once more Joe. The one I have is definitely different, so replacing it with a proper one is on my "to-do" list. I have also observed that the one that came on my example is a bit too thick to properly fit into the clip where the reproducer rests.

Clay

[Joe_DS]

Thanks once more Joe. The one I have is definitely different, so replacing it with a proper one is on my "to-do" list. I have also observed that the one that came on my example is a bit too thick to properly fit into the clip where the reproducer rests.

Clay

You should find that the correct sound box, with our without the Paillard name etched in the face plate, will fit the clamp perfectly.

It will be worth the effort to track one down. In my post on Phonoland, I embedded a link to a youtube video, which does a pretty good job of showing off the sound quality --

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJi4rv9_A5A[/youtube]

While it doesn't have quite the presence of an Orthophonic portable, or an HMV 102--with the Paillard sound box--it still sounds more like an electric phonograph than an acoustic model.

The tone chamber, itself, is well designed, and comes pretty close to the ones fitted in the VV-2-55 portable--about the same length and overall taper. When I first got mine, in fact, I tested it's performance, using an HMV 5b sound box, fitted to the tonearm with a cardboard collar adapter. I was hard pressed to tell the difference between the chrome plated portable and an HMV 102 I owned at the time. Quite a bit of bass came through the horn.

Joe

[gramophone-georg]

Thanks once more Joe. The one I have is definitely different, so replacing it with a proper one is on my "to-do" list. I have also observed that the one that came on my example is a bit too thick to properly fit into the clip where the reproducer rests.

Clay

You should find that the correct sound box, with our without the Paillard name etched in the face plate, will fit the clamp perfectly.

It will be worth the effort to track one down. In my post on Phonoland, I embedded a link to a youtube video, which does a pretty good job of showing off the sound quality --

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJi4rv9_A5A[/youtube]

While it doesn't have quite the presence of an Orthophonic portable, or an HMV 102--with the Paillard sound box--it still sounds more like an electric phonograph than an acoustic model.

The tone chamber, itself, is well designed, and comes pretty close to the ones fitted in the VV-2-55 portable--about the same length and overall taper. When I first got mine, in fact, I tested it's performance, using an HMV 5b sound box, fitted to the tonearm with a cardboard collar adapter. I was hard pressed to tell the difference between the chrome plated portable and an HMV 102 I owned at the time. Quite a bit of bass came through the horn.

Joe

And THAT is me demo-ing my old machine! Yes, that's a great Tea solo, and Benny Goodman can be heard on clarinet also. Mills himself, as "Milton Irving" was the vocalist. I made that video with a cheap camera back probably six years or so ago- the machine actually sounded better in person.


While that machine was in fine shape when I got it, I did a lot of work to it including disassembly of the motor and a repack with red grease, reproducer work, and I took the horn out and lined the outside with thin compressible foam insulation to eliminate any resonance and rattling from the horn. It came out nice, I think, and I'm sorry I sold it but there's only room for so much!