The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Is this original?

It's a bargin at the moment if it is. Still, early days!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Coin-in-slot- ... 1235374504

The pictures showing the workings are very interesting.

Cheers,
David.

Yes, genuine - though I think the horn paint has been redone.

estott wrote:Yes, genuine - though I think the horn paint has been redone.

Any thoughts on who manufactured the machine?

It would not surprise me if the garish paintwork on the horn is original. The machine would have originally been installed in a public place, possibly a bar, where it's purpose would have been to attract attention and earn money for it's owner.

That paint job cannot be ignored .

It sold for £901.

And I was the underbidder! I really thought £750-800 was enough for it although I willingly bid more but I was obviously wrong. The horn paint was original but one panel had been appallingly "restored" and would have needed attention. I'm too overloaded with projects to take on another one when the price is quite high. Had it been perfect, it would have been a different story and I would have probably secured it with a much higher bid.

Personally speaking, I loved that bright funky flower horn.

Sorry, Steve, I bought it. I'll try to post pictures when I get it delivered (if it arrives in Luxembourg in a single piece). I have another similar one with what looks like the same mechanism, so both will make up a nice pair. It is a quite abrupt mechanism, that raises the arm at the end, or more precisely shoots it up. I could not find any damping device, so I will wait for the new one to check if it behaves the same. As to the horn, I like the colors, the same as my soccer team's, so I will not touch it. I normally don't touch painting of my machines, even when they have been redone or look worn. Nothing against repainting horns, it is just that I find very difficult to achieve good results in repainting: a repainted horn almost always looks misplaced together with the original machine body.

Carlos, I can never forgive you for this!

No seriously for a minute, congratulations on buying a very very fine machine! You know it must be otherwise I wouldn't have bid on it!

When I mentioned the horn panel - it is on the outside face at 3.00 o'clock as you look into the horn from the front - I was simply suggesting that had I bought it I would definitely want to repaint the panel that has been "touched up" very poorly with the wrong colour. I agree that unmolested original paint which is sound and largely existent over the majority of a horn should not be messed with, apart from cleaning and polishing, possibly. Non original paint which has been applied to tart up an original horn is, in my opinion, fair game and can be removed and replaced so long as the process does not further damage more of the ORIGINAL paint.

If you ever decide to sell it please let me know!

Oh yes, and I hope it does arrive in one piece unlike all the machines I have purchased from overseas lately.