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Hey! could somebody Identify this for me? Looks Strange without a horn. Thanks!

It's an early HMV tabletop. The horn is there, internal to the machine.

I may be completely wrong, but this looks to me like a zonophone hornless phonograph. This is a phonograph where the horn is on the inside and comes out the front, similar to a victor VV-VI phonograph. The reason I think this is a zonophone is because of the corner columns which I've never seen on a victor or HMV phonograph of this type

Martin

Edit: apparently I was completely wrong. The poster added extra pictures (which obviously show it's an HMV )

Perversely this type of machine is known to collectors as a "Hornless". Plain appearance, poor sound quality and no lid to keep the dust off.

Thanks for clearing that up, I knew it was a HMV, but I was wondering what kind. I was hoping I stumbled upon something intresting. Oh well. The search goes on!

HMV Model A 1913-1915 The ones from 1915 were rebadged Zonophone. (see page 164 in "His Master's Gramophone")

While the sound is a little smaller than a console or open-horn machine puts out, I don't mind the sound of small hornless machines.

The design was always a favorite. They have the stylish, open-works aspects of a horn machine and are very compact & attractive. Of course, "plain" they are, but it matches with the plain furniture popular at the turn of the century in the (I think) Craftsman movement. In a way they are almost minimalist.


I have a Columbia-built hornless with a grille instead of slats. It is not too bad looking or sounding, but is, of course, suffering from the usual flaws of something that sold for ten dollars brand-new.