The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Marco Gilardetti wrote: To my eyes 32s and similar machines are as bulky as external horn gramophones are, but are not even remotely as beautiful and ornated as many European models are, don't feature exponential horns like many internal horn or portable machines, but look instead overall cheaply made and equipped with a non impressive tonearm like many of the latter.

Indeed the 32 utilizes the 101 arm, but the 29 and the 33 have the arm of the nursery model, which is not a portable but has also a non impressive arm. The 32 and 33 have the 4-spring motor, but the 29 has the 2-spring motor nr 32. These three models share the pipe under the plinth connecting arm to horn. The 29 and the 33 have slightly more attractive boxes than the 32, but as you say, there is no comparison with old Pathé or even with the more elaborated HMVs like the cockleshell monarch, the sheraton and others. Surely they are anachronisms, by the time they were put in the market external horn machines were as fashionable as spats, but nevertheless at least four different models were issued, the ones above and another one with a more standard back bracket and horn. There should have been a market for it, as they were sold even in Italy as we just found.

nostalgia wrote:I like to read your views on the model 32 Marco, but at the same time I just can't help loving my Model 25.

Thanks a lot for your nice message, which I read with great pleasure! Model 25 is actually quite a "normal" external horn machine: standard back bracket, imposing tapered tonearm with goose neck, top-mounted horn. Aside from the ziggurat-wannabe cabinet, everything else is quite all right (excepting that pointless, uselessly long handle, but OK that's being picky).

But those other models with portable-style tonearm... And that plumbing below the motorboard... And then the horn springing back up again from nowhere... My gosh, really, I can't believe anyone had engineered such a thing back then.

For some reason, though, as Carlos once again very competently summarized, there seemed to be a market for these things back then, although they were surpassed from every point of view. It is beyond my comprehension if HMV was marketing a competitor for EMG/Experts, or just aiming at the few nostalgics of external horn machines.

Carlos, as a side note I re-checked all the catalogues and collection of period ads that I have at home, and although I've found many things that I completely forgot about (among which a pair of ads for La Voce Del Padrone 163, and a beautiful ad for LVDP 202 in full colour - a picture of which I'll send to you as lucky owner of such terrific machine) but once again found absolutely nothing about the 32 being marketed in Italy.

[quote/] Marco wrote : For some reason, though, as Carlos once again very competently summarized, there seemed to be a market for these things back then, although they were surpassed from every point of view. It is beyond my comprehension if HMV was marketing a competitor for EMG/Experts, or just aiming at the few nostalgics of external horn machines.[quote/]

The demand for the Models 25 and 32 had more to do with value for money than nostalgia.
They both sold for £8.10s in oak and £9 in mahogany. A table Model 109 cost £10.10s and £12 respectively, and even the 103 cost £7.10s and £8.10s.