The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Ha ha! Yes I get it!! But seriously folks I have a horn droop problem on my Victor I. I have a nice flowered horn that fits in to the elbow but it droops when I let go after turning the rivet in the slot. I have considered using duct tape........no, not really. Anyhow, it does stay on but the horn almost sticks straight out instead of up at an angle. Is it too heavy? Does the "after market" horn just not fit the same? Any ideas??

That's usually caused by the horn end having become misshapen. It should be a nice round taper that fits very closely in the elbow. If not, the horn will sag. Look closely, most horns, especially cheaper aftermarket ones made of thinner steel, have some degree of distortion after 100+ years of banging around.

Did this work out for you????????

To be honest with you I've been devoting most of my free time to restoring a Columbia AH. I think I'd have to find something to taper the end. Any ideas?

OK, I can't resist this. How about Viagra Seriously, If you can get a cheap hammer & dolly set at an auto store, there is a long taper part(similar to a marlin spike) that can be used to reshape the end. BTW, a hammer & dolly set is great to have to straighten out petals on a tin or steel morning glory horn. Do not use the ob brass horns. After you get it to fit, I would make a small cone to fit and reinforce the taper and solder of JB weld. Be sure the metal is thin. Tin would be the best choice, because it is light weight and strong. Be sure to secure the cone on the inside, not outside of the taper. The thin metal should not interfere with the original fitting. In fact, it will make it more secure. Let us know how this works.
Harvey Kravitz

Is the elbow bent down? A Victor I elbow is not very robust and could easily be bent down under the weight of a slightly oversized horn and someone pulling down slightly while they turned the horn. Jerry

I haven't thought of a bent elbow. I have a small cased Victor I with the No. 17 morning glory horn. There is a slight droop but not too bad. I have a Victor E with the 14" horn and there is no droop. That's the same with another Victor I with the adapter and the slightly larger Victor II B & B horn. I think the maximum horn that will work on these small elbows is the No. 17 horn. These other after market horns(even though they fit the elbow) might be too big and heavy.
Harvey Kravitz

Thanks so much for the tips. I'll look in to these. The horn does seem too heavy but it's the one that came with it and I like the colors and the flowers better than a black horn. But that's just me. Thanks, again!