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EMG Mark IX at Tennants 30th January ( other items as well )

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auct ... d9010b9f7f

soundgen wrote:EMG Mark IX at Tennants 30th January ( other items as well )

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auct ... d9010b9f7f

I found this background information which I thought was quite interesting:

http://www.gramophonemuseum.com/emg-gra ... rk-ix.html

It is unusual to find an EMG with two conflicting dating guides. The auctioneer's description says that the presentation wedding gift plaque is dated 17th October 1947, but that the EMG plaque shows the MUSeum 9971 telephone number. This tells us that the machine must have been sold or serviced by EMG after April 1948 when they moved from 11 Grape Street to 6 Newman street.

Thank you for this helpful observation Roger and to investigate further I phoned the auctioneer to discover the serial number which turns out to be 2083. This appears under the turntable stamped into the top of the wooden deck-board. My own identical instrument is numbered 2116. When I bought mine, it came with only the remains of the horn revealing the newspaper from which it was part constructed. The Daily Mirror was able to inform me that the date of the paper used was from an edition on 8th July 1948.

So, the date of 2083 is consistent with the gift to the wedded couple in October 1947 and it would therefore indicate that about 33 instruments had been constructed in the approximate 10 month intervening period---or about three examples per month. This, I think, is new and interesting information as post WW2 production statistics are non-existent as far as I know.

The plaque showing the Newman Street address and phone number does indeed indicate the probability that later alterations were made by the makers at the new address---perhaps in the nineteen-fifties as with so many others ? This example seems to have evidence of subsequent conversions (now removed) on the deck-board---perhaps an electrical pick-up ? The auctioneer confirms there is no vestigial escutcheon or drilling on the right hand side of the case evidencing former wind-up operation. Thus it was always operated by an electric motor from new and a Bulgin three-pin connector/socket exists at the rear of the case.

A splendid piece of detective work, and fascinating new insight!

It's a pity the horn (as so often with Mk IXs) has collapsed so far, but it could perhaps be restored.

The provenance is interesting. The "happy couple" evidently didn't remain so, and were divorced in 1958. One wonders who got the gramophone (still sporting the plaque!) or what became of it from that time on.

Note: This example sold for 900 GBP plus 20% premium and 4% VAT.

The new owner following this auction utterly wrecked the horn in a misguided attempt to... I can't find the words... it had to be seen to be believed... and stripped the case finish savagely. It surfaced in that state on eBay some months later. Then one of our members here restored it properly!

Photos from the auction in this thread for posterity: