The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum, and would be grateful to receive some guidance in identifying a HMV floor model, that I am offered to buy. I have spent time online trying to find a similar model, but so far without any luck. It is obviously a model built between 1925-31 because of the soundbox (nr 4). I have been looking at model 161, but the feet look totally different, and so far I have not been able to find a model with similar short feet. I am starting to ask myself if someone has used the saw on the feet of "my" machine...
Any guidance, will be much appreciated.
-Nostalgia-

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Yes, it is a 161, and yes, unfortunately the legs have been sawn off!

Hello, and welcome to the forum. You are right this is the model 161 (1925-27) utilizing the case of the previous model 160 and upgraded with the longer saxophone type horn. Also, yes, the feet don't look right because the legs have been removed. Unfortunately this means the machine has a low monetary value so you should pay very little or look for another machine.

Jamie

Thank you for answering on this, and yes...my nightmare came true. How could someone use a saw on a HMV gramophone, to make it fit under a shelf etc. I will not buy it, and will also alert the seller. She obviously has inherited the gramophone, and has no clue that the legs are sawn off. I would not tell her, before being sure about this...Thanks again:)

It is sad but it does seem to happen... maybe to fit under a shelf or one leg gets damaged so the owner decides to remove them all. In the case of a valuable machine like a re-entrant it's worth grafting on new legs.

I am not living in the UK, and even if I had my first HMV for 30 years now, I am new to the terminology. Re-entrant,,,did that start with a certain model of HMV gramophone? I understand this is a technical aspect of the machine, but since I am not very technical, I will need time to read and understand what re-entrant really is, but it would be valuable to know if this technics started from a certain HMV model (year). Any not too tech answer will be much appreciated:)

Introduced in late 1927, HMV's Re-Entrant horn was based on the design of the 1925 Victor Orthophonic, but made of metal rather than wood.

The horn divided into four sections which reunited at the mouth, hence the term Re-Entrant. It was an attempt to fold an exponential horn of up to 9 feet length into a cabinet. The Model 163 was the smallest Re-Entrant and sold in large numbers. The larger 193/194 and 202/203 did not sell well, but achieve high prices today.

A much cheaper but thoroughly worthy alternative is the Model 157, whose horn divides into two rather than four sections. It's only disadvantage, to my eye, is the cabinet which is of very plain design.

Thanks a LOT, for explaining this. It is highly appreciated.