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The Gakken Premium Gramophone Kit
Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 10:09 pm
by Victor A
Hey everyone,
I want to get my nephew into this excellent hobby, so I thought i'd buy him a little something to get him started. I don't want to buy him a full fledged antique machine yet, since he is fairly young and his parents are a little wary of him handling records, etc. etc., so I considered buying him the Gakken kit (link below).
Would you guys recommend it?
LINK:
http://www.juno.co.uk/products/gakken-p ... 512847-01/
Re: The Gakken Premium Gramophone Kit
Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 10:23 pm
by Uncle Vanya
How young is he?
I was given my first machine (my great grandfather's Victor V) when I was five, and played the heck out of it.
A little machine, say a late pre-war or post-war portable with a General Industries motor and an aluminum diaphragm reproducer would stand up well to a youngster's handling. There are lots of fun, tuneful, appropriate discs which are worth little to nothing, and would help the tyke to learn a bit about music (and incidentally how to play and care for records).
Re: The Gakken Premium Gramophone Kit
Posted: Tue May 09, 2017 10:31 pm
by RolandVV-360
I don't really suggest it. The build quality is not great, and the spring isn't very strong. Also, the machine is really only safe to play 78s. It can only use "ultra-wide groove" steel and fibre needles, which, along with the tracking force, would wear vinyl tremendously. If he is interested in not only the machines, but the music too, I suggest getting him a simple Califone school turntable. They were made in mind of the rowdy middle school class, and thus can last what seems like forever. Plus, they usually come in 3 or 4-speed variants, so your nephew can play whatever he feels. Califone school models are also very common, and have a low price. It's a better choice and better deal to get a school turntable, IMHO.
The best of you and your nephew,
-Roland
Re: The Gakken Premium Gramophone Kit
Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 7:31 am
by briankeith
I got my grand daughter a very nice clean working small Birch portable on EBay for under a hundred bucks!! It has a nice Thorens motor too.
Re: The Gakken Premium Gramophone Kit
Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 9:54 am
by Steve
Victor A wrote:Hey everyone,
I want to get my nephew into this excellent hobby, so I thought i'd buy him a little something to get him started. I don't want to buy him a full fledged antique machine yet, since he is fairly young and his parents are a little wary of him handling records, etc. etc., so I considered buying him the Gakken kit (link below).
Would you guys recommend it?
LINK:
http://www.juno.co.uk/products/gakken-p ... 512847-01/
Yes, I would. I have one in my collection and for what it is I think it gives a lot of fun!
Re: The Gakken Premium Gramophone Kit
Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 5:49 pm
by Victor A
RolandVV-360 wrote:I don't really suggest it. The build quality is not great, and the spring isn't very strong. Also, the machine is really only safe to play 78s. It can only use "ultra-wide groove" steel and fibre needles, which, along with the tracking force, would wear vinyl tremendoously. If he is interested in not only the machines, but the music too, I suggest getting him a simple Califone school turntable. They were made in mind of the rowdy middle school class, and thus can last what seems like forever. Plus, they usually come in 3 or 4-speed variants, so your nephew can play whatever he feels. Califone school models are also very common, and have a low price. It's a better choice and better deal to get a school turntable, IMHO.
The best of you and your nephew,
-Roland
Thank you, Roland, and the rest of you as well! I just saw one of those Califones out "in the wild" at a secondhand shop, so I think I'll go back there and make sure it's playable and such.
Thanks,
Jack