The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I got a call the other day from one of my friends, who like most university students and people my age (under 20) know next to nothing about gramophones - just that I was obsessed about old records and gramophones and that I would know about it.

So I went off to his house and found an...unusual machine that he had dug out of his grandad's house. It was a kind of micro portable horn in the lid type machine with a collapsible turntable. It was powered by a thorens motor with an interesting speed govenor - a second screw near the front of the machine which you screw in or out to apply the regulation. My friend believed it was covered in crocodile skin - all I knew was that it definitely wasn't rexine.

All in all, I was quite amazed by the workmanship that went in to the machine, the only badly made part I could find was where the end of the soundbox had been welded to the end of the tonearm, unforuntately the soundbox's rubber had cracked so it sounded awful! - to say it was scavenged out of other parts I was rather impressed. If I had the time on my hands today I would love to build a similar type machine.

(Excuse the poor photo resolution, they were taken on my blackberry)

What makes you think it's a frankenphone as opposed to a properly manufactured off-brand machine?

The chap's family could attest that their grandad made this himself

It is possible that this is a home built machine, but the family statement should be taken with caution.

If it is a home built machine, it appears to be very well done. It truly looks like a machine that was built by one of the off brand makers, it seems way to well designed to be something a family member put together from parts. Is there anyway to rebuild the reproducer? With it being welding on to the tone arm is it possible to get it apart? It would be great for the family to hear it working correctly, especially if it was originally put together by their grandfather. No matter what it's heritage, thank you for sharing it. It is really a cool looking portable.

estott wrote:It is possible that this is a home built machine, but the family statement should be taken with caution.

So very true! I've lost track of the number of times I've seen or heard the "my grandfather made it" statement proven to be wrong.

I daren't take the reproducer apart because I have a feeling the rubber would shatter as soon as I touched it. They believe he built it because he was quite the handyman but it is possible that it could have bene bought given what you have just said.

When I referred to welding, the edge of the tonearm has definitely had some modification to fit the current soundbox - the metal was rough and it didn't look like a finished factory product. I played it but my word, I have never heard Jelly Roll Morton sound so bad

I asked if they were going to sell it and they refused