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Apart from the crap out of India and China, and Frankenphones. Are there any machines you would avoid?

Paul

Those off brand portables with very bad tracking alignment...
Although there is a case of love for beauty...I used to own a late thirties-early forties green Columbia portable made in the Spanish factory. I fell in love with that machine because it looked really luxurious, and the sound was astounding, similar to that of an hmv 102. It had a Garrard motor and a very good Paillard soundbox which have a true deep bass through its 36" sound system (tonearm plus exponential horn length). Once a day I spotted a Columbia 113a, and the owner agreed to swap it with my green later portable. I love that machine, but once I noticed its very bad tracking, my suffering commenced....I've tried to improve alignment by adding a supplement between the soundbox and tonearm, which provides a certain azimuth angle and offset to the soundbox, so the thing improves greatly. But still I haven't worked out the definite solution, and I'm always tinkering with it. At a given point I substituted the Orange rubber connector at the back of the soundbox by a silicone thick washer one made by me such that it had a wedge shape and changed the azimuth. But I didn't like that solution, and after some months I substituted again for a standard plain silicone washer. I'm playing with the idea of that supplement, kind of a short curved pipe that one can attach between tonearm and soundbox, but that can be removed with no change to the original machine. Still I have to work it out...
But indeed it is a very pretty portable, huge and heavy, but so attractive... And the sound its good!
If I had noticed the misalignment before, I could not have acquired it. Beauties that destroy records... hummmm....!

This is a difficult question to answer because of the risk of offending other Forum members and I have no desire to do so. With that said, here is my opinion.

I have little interest in suitcase portables. My first generation collector friends, who influenced me, simply avoided them. I remember one fellow that said he wouldn't walk across the street for a free one. That was my feeling for a long time BUT I WAS WRONG. I've seen nice ones at sales and listened to them play and they play like gang busters. I was amazed at the quantity and quality of the sound coming from such a small package. I appreciate them now but don't look to add them to my collection.

I avoid generic cookie cutter off brand uprights. I am thinking of talking machines that have the same basic austere design with generic mechanisms. I do very much like off brand machines that were daring with unique cabinet designs such as Modernola, Puritan, Keen-O-Phone, and others. I've often said you could build an interesting collection of unique off brand machines.

Jerry B.

I have no interest in (and so I avoid) most of the plain (read: common) cabinet Columbia Grafonola models, most suitcase portables and almost all acoustic era Victor Victrola console models (the models that are wide and rather low to the floor) including VV-210, 215, 220, 240, 260 and so forth. No offense intended to those who enjoy and appreciate these models.

Doug

Jerry B. wrote: I have little interest in suitcase portables. My first generation collector friends, who influenced me, simply avoided them. I remember one fellow that said he wouldn't walk across the street for a free one. That was my feeling for a long time BUT I WAS WRONG. I've seen nice ones at sales and listened to them play and they play like gang busters. I was amazed at the quantity and quality of the sound coming from such a small package. I appreciate them now but don't look to add them to my collection.

UK portables such as the HMV 102 are often better than a mediocre quality cabinet machine. There was a strong market for these from people living in apartments where space was a premium- and an owner might have a small but carefully selected record library.

Jerry B. wrote:This is a difficult question to answer because of the risk of offending other Forum members and I have no desire to do so. With that said, here is my opinion.

I have little interest in suitcase portables. My first generation collector friends, who influenced me, simply avoided them. I remember one fellow that said he wouldn't walk across the street for a free one. That was my feeling for a long time BUT I WAS WRONG. I've seen nice ones at sales and listened to them play and they play like gang busters. I was amazed at the quantity and quality of the sound coming from such a small package. I appreciate them now but don't look to add them to my collection.

I avoid generic cookie cutter off brand uprights. I am thinking of talking machines that have the same basic austere design with generic mechanisms. I do very much like off brand machines that were daring with unique cabinet designs such as Modernola, Puritan, Keen-O-Phone, and others. I've often said you could build an interesting collection of unique off brand machines.

Jerry B.

how could you possibly offend another Forum member

soundgen wrote:

Jerry B. wrote:This is a difficult question to answer because of the risk of offending other Forum members and I have no desire to do so. With that said, here is my opinion.

I have little interest in suitcase portables. My first generation collector friends, who influenced me, simply avoided them. I remember one fellow that said he wouldn't walk across the street for a free one. That was my feeling for a long time BUT I WAS WRONG. I've seen nice ones at sales and listened to them play and they play like gang busters. I was amazed at the quantity and quality of the sound coming from such a small package. I appreciate them now but don't look to add them to my collection.

I avoid generic cookie cutter off brand uprights. I am thinking of talking machines that have the same basic austere design with generic mechanisms. I do very much like off brand machines that were daring with unique cabinet designs such as Modernola, Puritan, Keen-O-Phone, and others. I've often said you could build an interesting collection of unique off brand machines.

Jerry B.

how could you possibly offend another Forum member

Nor me. Jerry is a true gentleman.

Many days, on encountering a Grafonola, I marvel at how awful that clunky tonearm looks. My records would probably feel the same. For that reason I wouldn't beseech myself to own one at any time.

Wolfe wrote:Many days, on encountering a Grafonola, I marvel at how awful that clunky tonearm looks. My records would probably feel the same. For that reason I wouldn't beseech myself to own one at any time.

The first machine I owned was a Columbia Grafonola Mignon floor model in average condition I bought at age 12 with my parents' financial assistance. I enjoyed it for many years and wore out many records before gifting it to my close friends in Los Angeles and whenever I travel back home and visit them it does feel good to see it proudly displayed in their living room.
And their kids enjoy and play it as well.

I am much happier with my Victor IV though

Steven

billybob62 wrote:

soundgen wrote:

Jerry B. wrote:This is a difficult question to answer because of the risk of offending other Forum members and I have no desire to do so. With that said, here is my opinion.

I have little interest in suitcase portables. My first generation collector friends, who influenced me, simply avoided them. I remember one fellow that said he wouldn't walk across the street for a free one. That was my feeling for a long time BUT I WAS WRONG. I've seen nice ones at sales and listened to them play and they play like gang busters. I was amazed at the quantity and quality of the sound coming from such a small package. I appreciate them now but don't look to add them to my collection.

I avoid generic cookie cutter off brand uprights. I am thinking of talking machines that have the same basic austere design with generic mechanisms. I do very much like off brand machines that were daring with unique cabinet designs such as Modernola, Puritan, Keen-O-Phone, and others. I've often said you could build an interesting collection of unique off brand machines.

Jerry B.

how could you possibly offend another Forum member

Nor me. Jerry is a true gentleman.

yep just think how many miles Jerry has traveled shuttling other collectors stuff and kept it safe