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This reproducer is off one of my machines I carried back from Calcutta, India in the mid-sixties. Was in use by a street vender who had a strap on it and a monkey in a costume, he would play a 78 and the monkey would run around the crowd with his cup for Rupees.

Anyway cleaning up the collection - just sent 17 machines off to auction. I played this horned machine the reproducer is off of and noticed there is a small finely threaded screw in lieu of the thumb screw. I tried a thumb screw (spare) but no workie. Anyone recognize this thing and maybe I can get George V to come up with one. Thanks

This kind of looks like a late Columbia portable reproducer, because of the notes in front. I could be wrong. However, the notes look like the "Notes" trademark. Can you post a picture of the back to see the fitting?
Harvey Kravitz

I have a Columbia portable with that type sound box on it so it looks like a Columbia. The musical note is their trademark.

It's a Columbia No.23

Phono48 wrote:It's a Columbia No.23

In Columbia form it was catalogued as the No.24, but it was nothing more than a badge engineered version of the HMV No.23.

These soundboxes were fitted to the cheaper HMV 87/88 and Columbia 205/211 portables of the EMI period. Good examples sound better than one might expect.

Whoever forced that screw into the stylus bar probably stripped the original thread, so you may have problems fitting the correct replacement.

Thanks for all the responses. There is fear in my heart that as EPIGRAMAPHONE stated the threads are no doubt stripped. Definitely sounds good tho. Cheers

Unfortunately I have seen this sort of damage all too often. The original thumbscrew gets lost and anything conveniently to hand is, quite literally, pressed into service.

Even worse is when the thumbscrew is overtightened and shears off, leaving the threaded end firmly embedded in the stylus bar.......

Yes does not take much to mess up a reproducer. The Arentino I recently bought had a toothpick holding the needle - fortunately I bought a thumbscrew and it fit perfect. I do not have a micro tap and die set, knowing me I'd probably do more damage....

Phono48 wrote:It's a Columbia No.23

Sorry, got my HMV and Columbia reference numbers mixed up! As stated it's a 24, the HMV version is the No.23. Thanks to epigramophone for the correction.