The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi all,

First post here.

I recently "inherited" this Brunswick phonograph. There are no tags or plates anywhere on it except for the Brunswick sticker on the inside of the lid.

It also, has some odd "electrical" components on it.

There seems to be maybe a light socket inside the horn chamber. And, there is some sort of "post" on the top of it near the arm that looks like maybe a bulb of some sort fits into it. The wiring appears to run to the automatic stop mechanism. So that maybe the lights turn off when the record stops?

I have attached a few photos of the machine.
If anybody could help identify some info of the machine (model, year, etc) and if anybody knows anything about these electrical components; I would greatly appreciate it.

I am in the process of disassembling it so that I can clean it up and refinish it.

Thanks,
Mark

You may want to download the Brunswick book from the APS site. Here's a helpful link to the announcement thread.

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =2&t=15299

I think the lighting is an add-on by a creative owner way back when.

The light fixture on the motor-board looks an awful lot like a dash-mounted light for the instruments for a late-Teens-early Twenties automobile.

The porcelain light socket down in the horn appears to be a once-common candelabra-base cleat, easily found in any hardware store of that era.

The wiring all looks to be pre-WW II as well.

Judging from the electrician's terminal lug installed to be a contact for the auto-brake, one light was a signal that the machine had stopped ( probably the one inside the horn ), the other light on the motor-board was probably for general convenience lighting ?

Are there any bulbs in them ? If so, I wonder if they are six-volt bulbs, and the whole rig ran off dry-cells or a car-battery ?

Neat find !

@52089
Thank you very much for the link to the PDF. That is an amazing resource and I have already learned many things just from scrubbing through the PDF.

If I am reading the info correctly, it looks like we have a Model 7 Ultron (Model 7 based on the design and Ultron based on that it can play all 3 record types).


@De Soto Frank
Thanks for your insight into the electrical components. Very interesting. Now I just need to decide if I want to keep them or remove them when I clean up and restore this thing.

I think since a previous owner sort of "destroyed" it with the electronics, I am not going to worry too much on doing a historically accurate restore.

Thinking of stripping the original sold woods (corners, lid, motor-board, etc) and then getting a nice veneer for the three sides and door.

Thanks again for all your assistance!

Mark

I'm curious about what ( if any ) connectors / terminals are on the supply ends of the wiring - that would indicate what powered it ?

I don't think it is destroyed if it is a period modification.

Phototone wrote:I don't think it is destroyed if it is a period modification.

I'd go along with that sentiment, in this case... especially if it was set-up for a house w/o electrical power, and the phonograph lights ran off batteries...

I agree - - I really like the lights! This modification is not only novel, but it elevates an otherwise pedestrian talking machine into something quite unusual. A light in the horn? That would look fabulous behind an appropriate grille cloth! Imagine the pattern from the weave in a sheer green fabric...

The interior light activated by disengaging the turntable brake is neat too. That machine would be my favorite for nighttime listening!

George P.