Mandel Phonograph - Walnut Finish

[De Soto Frank]

If I may go a bit off-topic (referring to the records rather than the machine), the Artie Shaw disc is quite interesting for the early use of the harpsichord in jazz. When was that recorded….. and I wonder what make of instrument they used?

-Bill[/quote]

I did not watch the links, but I would assume that the Artie Shaw side with a Harpsichord would have been his Gramercy Park small ensemble.

I would guess that the harpsichord may have been made by Pleyel, in France.

One of the 20th Century's great advocates of and virtuosos of the harpsichord was Wanda Landowska, who toured with a Pleyel "super-harpsichord" that had a cast-iron plate (like a piano), and produced a powerful sound... that said, listening to her recordings nowadays, the instrument sounds like a 1950's - '60's sythesizer trying to imitate a harpsichord.

[De Soto Frank]

Finished the Mandel cabinet and it is up and running. Here are a couple pics of both Mandel machines. One of them is very like a Victrola in appearance. The Victrola looking machine came with the nickel plated tone arm and reproducer, the other with the gold. The gold tone arm and reproducer were broken, but apparently Super Glue works to put them back together, though I don't know for how long. Each machine has a different motor. The Victrola machine has the #2 motor. The turntables look the same, even have the same numbers stamped on them, but the spindle holes are different diameters. The 'felt' for them is not felt but some kind of woven nap. Both have the same material. One of them is worn and you can see an area where the nap is gone and the threads are loose. The back sides of the reproducers are mostly the same, but the connector piece for each has a different diameter and so the backs are different to accommodate them. Both machines are now playable, I still have to refinish the cabinet for the Victrola looking one. Also. it is lacking the grill. It is much smaller than the walnut machine. The grill from the walnut machine is wider than the Victrola machine.

You can see the walnut machine playing using the nickel plated reproducer on YouTube at:

http://youtu.be/V-PzRmM-8DQ

Here is another video using the gold plated reproducer:

http://youtu.be/Et-ZISislew

Enjoy! CDB

Motor # 1 especially has a Heinemann look to it...

The two tone-arms resemble Cheney units, with that stepped "taper"...


Interesting machines... the walnut version is quite handsome !

[De Soto Frank]

Finished the Mandel cabinet and it is up and running. Here are a couple pics of both Mandel machines. One of them is very like a Victrola in appearance. The Victrola looking machine came with the nickel plated tone arm and reproducer, the other with the gold. The gold tone arm and reproducer were broken, but apparently Super Glue works to put them back together, though I don't know for how long. Each machine has a different motor. The Victrola machine has the #2 motor. The turntables look the same, even have the same numbers stamped on them, but the spindle holes are different diameters. The 'felt' for them is not felt but some kind of woven nap. Both have the same material. One of them is worn and you can see an area where the nap is gone and the threads are loose. The back sides of the reproducers are mostly the same, but the connector piece for each has a different diameter and so the backs are different to accommodate them. Both machines are now playable, I still have to refinish the cabinet for the Victrola looking one. Also. it is lacking the grill. It is much smaller than the walnut machine. The grill from the walnut machine is wider than the Victrola machine.

You can see the walnut machine playing using the nickel plated reproducer on YouTube at:

http://youtu.be/V-PzRmM-8DQ

Here is another video using the gold plated reproducer:

http://youtu.be/Et-ZISislew

Enjoy! CDB

Nice videos!

If I may go a bit off-topic (referring to the records rather than the machine), the Artie Shaw disc is quite interesting for the early use of the harpsichord in jazz. When was that recorded….. and I wonder what make of instrument they used?

-Bill

Here's some info on Artie and the harpsichord...

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1 ... 3861876358

[Lucius1958]

Finished the Mandel cabinet and it is up and running. Here are a couple pics of both Mandel machines. One of them is very like a Victrola in appearance. The Victrola looking machine came with the nickel plated tone arm and reproducer, the other with the gold. The gold tone arm and reproducer were broken, but apparently Super Glue works to put them back together, though I don't know for how long. Each machine has a different motor. The Victrola machine has the #2 motor. The turntables look the same, even have the same numbers stamped on them, but the spindle holes are different diameters. The 'felt' for them is not felt but some kind of woven nap. Both have the same material. One of them is worn and you can see an area where the nap is gone and the threads are loose. The back sides of the reproducers are mostly the same, but the connector piece for each has a different diameter and so the backs are different to accommodate them. Both machines are now playable, I still have to refinish the cabinet for the Victrola looking one. Also. it is lacking the grill. It is much smaller than the walnut machine. The grill from the walnut machine is wider than the Victrola machine.

You can see the walnut machine playing using the nickel plated reproducer on YouTube at:

http://youtu.be/V-PzRmM-8DQ

Here is another video using the gold plated reproducer:

http://youtu.be/Et-ZISislew

Enjoy! CDB

Nice videos!

If I may go a bit off-topic (referring to the records rather than the machine), the Artie Shaw disc is quite interesting for the early use of the harpsichord in jazz. When was that recorded….. and I wonder what make of instrument they used?

-Bill

Here's some info on Artie and the harpsichord...

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1 ... 3861876358

Thanks!

-Bill

[mikejk]

Very nice Walnut Mandel, looks great. I have a one in mahogany that came in as a derelict and have brought it back to life. I like your sound boxes, very good looking, mine is different but it does have the Mandel label inside. I'll post some pics sometime.

[CDBPDX]

I cleaned up the other Mandel, the Victrola looking one, a little bit. I think it is mahogany, looks very nice. CDB