The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

2Bdecided wrote:
I've never felt that I have time on my hands, but it's the domestic suicide of bringing such a thing home that's keeping me away. Maybe if I had a secure lock-up which I could disappear to with piles of old newspapers without raising suspicion?

Cheers,
David.

I showed the picture to my dearly beloved, but her reaction to it wasn't any more negative than to any other picture of any other EMG or Expert. I have a fantastic space for doing this kind of work - what could be better than a conservatory. I doubt I'd risk it though.

If I was going to restore a horn in that condition (and I'll admit right now that I have no experience with them) I'd remove as much of the loose paper on the outside as possible and then rebuild it with acid free tissue, paste and hide glue. Since they are composed of decaying pulp paper I'm astonished that they survive at all- probably a century they will be dust held together by glue.

I bet if he let lose of the horn in that picture it would fall flat on the ground

New pictures of the horn have been posted in the auction - it is VERY bad. The interior seems to be intact but there is deformation & the exterior is badly delaminated. I think you'd have to build an interior form and dampen the horn so it would fit over it to reshape it, then you'd have to rebuild the entire outside. Might be easier to have a new horn made and attached to the old neck.

I would use layers of extra strong fibre glass to restore this horn, its the perfect mold to do so

Burtemg wrote:I would use layers of extra strong fibre glass to restore this horn, its the perfect mold to do so

Wouldn't using fibre glass change the acoustic properties of the horn?

HisMastersVoice wrote:

Burtemg wrote:I would use layers of extra strong fibre glass to restore this horn, its the perfect mold to do so

Wouldn't using fibre glass change the acoustic properties of the horn?

The acoustic properties of this horn are probably shot - I doubt that anything could hurt. I'd be concerned it would increase the weight.

I believe when you only apply it to the outside of the horn te sound will not be effected, even improved.
Fibre glass is very light and strong...
The replica horns are made of that material,

This is the garrard motor to look for, found in many cheap uk cabinet gramophones on ebay.co.uk

Wouldn't using fibre glass change the acoustic properties of the horn?[/quote]


That's just what I would have thought myself until I heard some original EMG Oversize horns and also those made from fibreglass. I've listened for hours to the originals and have listened for a year and a half to the fibreglass. If there's anything in it, the fibreglass may even be a slight improvement acoustically on the original papier applique. Certainly as good. I was most pleasantly surprised!