The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

JerryVan wrote: Mon Oct 20, 2025 5:33 pm

Curt A wrote: Mon Oct 20, 2025 5:28 pm To answer your question simply, there is NO reason to purchase a gramophone, or play 78rpm records or engage in any other unnecessary activities. You list five different personal interests in your profile that are important to you, none of which are necessary for a functional life.

In that same way, collecting records/gramophones are a useless endeavor - the technology is extremely outdated, you can listen to the same music on your computer or phone (no records needed), the era these we're made for and the original listeners are long gone, they don't have stable intrinsic value and you can't take them with you when you die... The point is, this is only an "interest" that serves as a distraction - it's certainly less harmful than other addictions.

Just my opinion...

Jeez Curt, you make me want to stop my car half way across the bridge...

This is Your Brain.

This is Your Brain... on Existentialism.

-Bill

Emma I don''t think you sounded rude at all. Curt was just reiterating some things.

Truly there is no reason to buy a gramophone over a normal modern record player. They both do the same thing and honestly a modern record player does it better.

While there are no technical advantages, the old machines do often look more appealing and pleasant (my original argument I used against my mom! )

A modern turntable will often apply the RIAA frequency curve, as the manufacture expects that an LP or 45 records will be played. This modification to the frequency content is in-correct for a 78 RPM record and will make the record sound "mushy" and lacking high end frequencies.

Some models allow the user to turn this feature off. If not, then you will miss some of the music or, you can purchase an antique 78 RPM player, and a box of steel needles.

Marc

Some "recent" record players also have a two-sided or separate styli & cartridge for 78s.

I'm only speaking for myself. I mean yeah, I like to play my records on a good modern table (rare and valuable ones I only play on those) But I like messing with the vintage machines too and find them more interesting, gives me a firsthand idea about life over 100 years ago! Kinda the same reason I'm also into film photography.

Don't make this so serious. I was only replying to the initial question: "Is there an advantage or reason to purchase a wind up gramophone?"

The simple answer is still "NO"... However, that doesn't take into consideration the many emotional or sentimental reasons for wanting to do so. In spite of my answer, I still like them and have been interested in them for 60+ years... but I still haven't discovered any "advantage" to owning one.

From the answers posted, I think most collectors struggle with trying to rationalize their obsession with why they collect and like them.

The good news is: You don't need any logical reason to own or like them. Just because the vast majority of people on earth think they are worthless and uninteresting - who cares?

While it's true that modern equipment allows you to tweak or enhance playback sound quality to get the most out of old format records, I've found that certain acoustic gramophones make 78s sound very good to excellent, depending on how carefully they have been restored and when the record was made. For instance, the average (pre-1925) acoustically recorded records may sound muffled and constricted on an average budget to mid-priced modern record player, but on a carefully restored gramophone (talking machine) equipped with a large outside horn, they will deliver a tremendous presence.

Along this line, unless careful equalization is done, the most prominent sound from an acoustic recording when played on a modern record player will be surface noise--even when using the correct 78 rpm stylus. And of course, many if not most acoustic era 78s were recorded at speeds higher or lower than 78 rpm, so the ability to adjust the the turntable speed--a feature of virtually all acoustic gramophones--is a big help.

I've also found that, for early electrically recorded 78s--1926-circa 1930--the mid-size to larger exponential horn gramophones deliver a more natural sounding performance--dampening, to a certain extent, the exaggerated bass inherent to the recording process, while highlighting the treble and mid-range and putting the surface noise behind the music. (I'm sure the owners of carefully restored Ginn/EMG gramophones could probably attest.)

Personally, I also like them because, unless equipped with an electric motor, they are totally "green." Another advantage is the fact that unlike more contemporary sound systems, many, if not most, can still be repaired. It's probably a thousand times easier to locate a replacement mainspring for my circa 1907 Victor V than to find a replacement CD player or other parts for my Magnavox AZ9435--which by the way DOES need a replacement CD player .

OrthoFan

Amen.

Curt's got the right mindset.

Someday we'll all pass on and we can't take any of it with us, so if you wanna enjoy it, mine as well.

OrthoFan wrote: Wed Oct 22, 2025 1:20 pm ........while highlighting the treble and mid-range and putting the surface noise behind the music. (I'm sure the owners of carefully restored Ginn/EMG gramophones could probably attest.)

Yes---every time !