Good phonograph for newbies?

[phonophan79]

LOL!

I'm afraid you'll have to explain the whole "steampunk" thing to me.......

Geez.....I must be getting old!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

[m1tch]

LOL!

I'm afraid you'll have to explain the whole "steampunk" thing to me.......

Geez.....I must be getting old!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

Indeed

Which is why I was asking if it would matter if I changed the casing and about the internals

[estott]

You might like a Thorens Excelda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e_E26mmwIg

It's a 30's-40's compact portable in the form of an old fashioned folding camera. They are readily available and you could slip the steel case into a more ornate surrounding if you like, but they are quite interesting as they are- while playing you can hold them on your outstretched hand (if you're steady) and the sound quality is really very good. I have on it it's original canvas and leather shoulder sling.

[phonophan79]

Which is why I was asking if it would matter if I changed the casing and about the internals

I think most people here are "purists"... or having the mindset that the phonographs should not be changed, modernized or made into works of art. (They're works of art as they stand) If you want to do that to a crap-o-phone, by all means... in fact those were made to be visual, not to play records... but to take an original phonograph, change the exterior and remove/change the internal mechanics... is painful for us to hear / think about.

[m1tch]

Which is why I was asking if it would matter if I changed the casing and about the internals

I think most people here are "purists"... or having the mindset that the phonographs should not be changed, modernized or made into works of art. (They're works of art as they stand) If you want to do that to a crap-o-phone, by all means... in fact those were made to be visual, not to play records... but to take an original phonograph, change the exterior and remove/change the internal mechanics... is painful for us to hear / think about.

That's why I asked if it would be ok, and was told it was due to the large volume of them around lol although im still thinking what I might want to do. I might just get a HMV 102 and put edge and corner protectors in brass and recover with a black material.

[Neophone]

M1tch,

Ultimately it's your choice to do whatever you want with your machines. There are many different views on the subject. If you find an inexpensive common machine that's beat-up I don't see any reason why you shouldn't "customize" it if you want.


Regards,
John

[OrthoFan]

After re-reading all the posts, I was thinking that a Crap-O-Phone might well be the ideal machine for a steampunk project--especially since most are nonoperational, from the standpoint of long-term usage and sound quality, and relatively cheap. Modifying one to play MP3 files by connecting the proper tubing and a home-made adapter should be easy for someone with skills in cabinetry. I was thinking, specifically, of those Crap-o-phones designed to look like the long horn Pathé models, or the Chinese made ones with two horns.


Today, I looked over the eBay UK site -- http://www.ebay.co.uk/ -- and found virtually NONE! (Maybe one or two.) The last time I checked that site specifically for "Gramophone", they were all over the place. What happened? Have the listings/sellers been reported and banned?

[Steve]

Today, I looked over the eBay UK site -- http://www.ebay.co.uk/ -- and found virtually NONE! (Maybe one or two.) The last time I checked that site specifically for "Gramophone", they were all over the place. What happened? Have the listings/sellers been reported and banned?

Hurrah! Victory is ours! It's only taken us 11 years. Boy, do we move fast?!

Maybe someone has got the message. Then again, it could just be the recession putting pay to folks buying utter crap at the weekends! I'd like to think we've seen the back of the humble Crapophone but deep down I know this is just very wishful thinking.

[m1tch]

Yeah I only found a few and thought "HA im not buying you!" hehe

I will be using the phonograph for listening to the correct format for the machine, I won't be changing it to MP3 don't worry lol

I am thinking of keeping the internals the same but 'restoring' the casing to something that looks better, for example, doing something like this for the casing of a 102:



This won't detract from the working of the actual machine, just making it look a bit better, if you compare a cylinder phonograph which usually has a nice wood base, I thought why not make the 'later' portable 102s look a bit more classy.

Plus if I did make a case like that with corner protects etc then it would last longer than if it were in its original casing.

[OrthoFan]

HMV produced a few nice looking teak models with cross banding, but these are relative rare and, I'm sure, expensive.

Looking at the photo of the case you've posted, I think a nice VV-50 --



SEE: http://www.victor-victrola.com/50.htm


-- might also work. I'm not sure how available these are in the UK, though.