Noooooo!!!!!!

[Paal1994]

Now who would be that cruel to a phonograph?!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy_P6DWrqXc[/youtube]

Paal.

[wheelgun357]

That was horrible, i was apalled and horrified at first, then i read where he said that it was full of woodworm and was unable to be saved, woodworm is a nast beat, i have seen many of 19th century clocks from europe that look like swiss cheeze from all the woodworm holes.... and whats worse is that is the worm is still alive it will start eating other wooden things in the home and it spreads like a nast disease.... and the worse part is you dont even know you have em till you see the little piles of wood dust under the wooden item in question, by then its really almost too late...

[OrthoFan]

This is the part I question, from looking at the posts on youtube:

"salvaged all the metal parts whci (sic) I shall use in less infested items ! "

You can clearly see that all parts are in place in the video! I realize that these machines are looked upon with disdain by many British collectors -- they were at the low end of the market, they are fairly common today, they don't have a nine foot horn, etc. -- but still...

I'm hoping that the next time someone decides to burn an infested talking machine, they at least remove ALL usable hardware and components. (I'll gladly take them as a gift.)

[estott]

I read the thread on this- he said that the tone arm was worse than it appeared and the motor ruined. I've seen several lower-end British consoles (they tend to come over hear with loads of oak furniture) and they tend to be underwhelming. Compare it to burning a cheap 1960's stereo console and you'll feel better.

[txhog]

His accent is funny as

[estott]

I just talked to a Brit who called MY accent peculiar.
(I'm from Albany NY)

[larryh]

I saw a similar shaped 30's phonograph, Melophonic I believe at a sale last year in the middle of no where. (well thats where I live). It had rotted off legs and a terrible tone arm, basically a basket case. It would only have made a good fire for someone. Here in the country especially at farm sales where people dumped old things in the barn or out building you often see things that could have been wonderful if someone had taken care of them. So far I haven't seen a Melophonic with a good tone arm at a sale, maybe some day?

Larry

[WDC]

Well, no matter how wormy and/or inferior this machine was, it is still painful to see. Furthermore, the poster did not bother to make clear in first place why he actually was doing it.

I'd rather like to see a video of a burning crapophone than any rotten old machine.

[OrthoFan]

I read the thread on this- he said that the tone arm was worse than it appeared and the motor ruined. I've seen several lower-end British consoles (they tend to come over hear with loads of oak furniture) and they tend to be underwhelming. Compare it to burning a cheap 1960's stereo console and you'll feel better.

You must mean the thread on the Gramophone board? (Didn't see anything about this on youtube.) I used to belong to that board, but stormed off in a huff when the new Proboard requirements were posted.

The motor did sound pretty bad on the video, but I'm still in horrors about the sound box, the needle cups, the lid supports, the turntable, and any motor parts that were salvageable. (Guess I'm just thrifty, or have ambitions about making my own crap-o-phone someday.... )

But I know what you mean about these being cheaply made. I used to have a Master-Tone gramophone fitted with the same components installed in a similar cabinet. Interestingly enough, it didn't sound bad--pumped out quite a bit of bass--once I got done tweaking it. The cabinet was so flimsy, though, that it couldn't stand a refinishing, and the legs and lid started to warp shortly after. I gave it away to the guy who bought my Credenza, some ten years ago.

With the woodworm problem as bad as it is--based on some the posts I remember reading on the UK Gramophone board--and have heard about from other collectors--I think I'd avoid any gramophone that spent most of its life in the UK. It's bad enough that, where I live, we have to contend with termites.

OF

[Steve]

Furthermore, the poster did not bother to make clear in first place why he actually was doing it.

He shouldn't need to, surely? It was his own crappy machine and one of hundreds available that NO ONE in the Uk would give house space to. What's a poor fella with a box of matches and a can of petroleum to do? It's better than going to land-fill and it doesn't easily fit into a recycling bin! In terms of there being a 'purpose', well, does everything have to have great meaning? Don't you sometimes crave spontaneity? I personally believe he did it to provoke a few 'anoraks' in the CLPGS who, in his view, are wasting their time restoring worthless junk. And that's simply my subjective opinion on another's opinion on what a third party is doing.

The metal parts are all awfully cheaply made Swiss components that no one will miss either. They're in plentiful supply and if anyone needs any of these parts, my guess is that they have bought the 'wrong' machine anyway. It is not worth restoring something that was always crap to begin with. Life is not long enough to waste THAT amount of time and energy (and money?)

Good on the Colonel. I look forward to seeing more videos, including the much promised 'Burning Credenza - The Final Director's Cut' . Will he release it? My guess is, he won't.

Going back to the video, I think maybe you need to listen beyond the 'accents' at what is actually being said. Very funny man but possibly you need to live here to understand what he's referring to. And how did you miss the picture of Mr Hope inside the machine? Is this symbolic or simply shambolic? Are there hidden meanings? Has he watched too many Andrei Tarkovsky films? You decide.

My final point is this: I know the Colonel. Woodworm or not, he would STILL have burnt this machine to a crisp anyway. Don't be fooled!