The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Retrograde wrote:

Steve wrote: What I was referring to however was the very long cut-outs that exist with angled edges along the BACK of the cabinet

Maybe since England is a seafaring nation, The Gramophone Company felt the machines needed a self-bailing feature. You never know when a rogue wave might come along and swamp your gramophone.

It's most likely to drain the never ending rain we get here!...

kirtley2012 wrote:

Retrograde wrote:

Steve wrote: What I was referring to however was the very long cut-outs that exist with angled edges along the BACK of the cabinet

Maybe since England is a seafaring nation, The Gramophone Company felt the machines needed a self-bailing feature. You never know when a rogue wave might come along and swamp your gramophone.

It's most likely to drain the never ending rain we get here!...

I still can't quite understand what or where these slots are!

Take an average HMV cabinet gramophone from 1920 onwards (and believe me, most of them are very average!) and look at the back of the motorboard / tone-arm board, where it meets the vertical back of the cabinet on the inside. Many models have two very long narrow slots running almost the entire length of the back. If you flick a needle at the back they will disappear without a trace until you stab your toe on them when you accidentally find them on the floor later!

Steve wrote:Take an average HMV cabinet gramophone from 1920 onwards (and believe me, most of them are very average!) and look at the back of the motorboard / tone-arm board, where it meets the vertical back of the cabinet on the inside. Many models have two very long narrow slots running almost the entire length of the back. If you flick a needle at the back they will disappear without a trace until you stab your toe on them when you accidentally find them on the floor later!

Thanks Steve, understood now. I'll take a fresh look at my 111!