The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi folks,

Pictured is my first machine and first restoration - which is still on-going (please praise me and accept me into your fold).
I have a few questions regarding this machine.

First of all, can anyone help me to identify it? Or can anyone point me in the direction of resources that could help me find the model and year? I know manufacturers published catalogues but where can I find these? I'd love to find a picture of this machine in its original form - which brings me to the next mysteries:

There is no where for the reproducer to sit when changing records. Most of these portables, as far as I can tell, have a wee dip within which the reproducer can fit, this one does not. Is that usual? Does this suggest that it originally had one of those two-piece goose-neck tone arms that can swivel so that the reproducer is facing upward and out of the way? Has anyone else seen a portable that doesn't have anywhere to put the reproducer? Right now I either have to sit it on the rexine (which, based on the scratches and wear, is what one of the previous owners did) or remove it from the tone arm when changing records and needles.
The tone arm fits into the brass clasp (as pictured), but it only fits when the reproducer is removed. And there is nowhere for the reproducer to go when the lid is closed and the machine is in transit. Was is usual to expect to remove the reproducer when transporting a portable machine?

I have reason to believe that there has been a degree of jimmying and/or monkeying with this machine. There are hidden holes under the base of the tone arm that suggest that the tone arm was at some point either slightly re-positioned or replaced. There is also one spare ornamental washer and screw that matches the ones that are pictured that attach the motor board to the case. There is nowhere on the machine, in its current configuration, for this washer and screw to go (!?).
I also have reason to believe that the brass clasp for the tone arm is not original as it is not nickle-plated like the rest of the brass pieces. All this suggests that the tone arm has possibly been replaced, but if this is the case; what sort of tone arm did it originally have?

Another mystery is the interior of the lid. Has anyone seen one like this? Most seem to have a wee envelope thing coming down for the records to be stored, but there is no sign on the rexine to suggest anything like this was ever attached. The records fit nicely onto the metal rod which has (rather mashed) threading which suggests that something screwed onto the end of it to secure the records. Any ideas of what this could have looked like?
There is also the wee clip on the bottom left of the interior of the lid. It is too far to the left to be for securing the records that are sitting on the rod, but it the winding handle doesn't seem to fit into it either!

Many questions, many mysteries, few answers.. This is why I'd love to see some sort of advertising or catalogue photograph of the machine in its original form.

Any thoughts are most welcome.

Thanks,

Toby

Welcome Toby, yes your portable looks really nice!

I can only make suggestions on a few of the points you raise... Yes, some portables had a threaded stud in the lid to stow records on, a cheaper/simpler option than a pocket or album. The clip in the lid is probably for a tin of needles - constantly required because they should be discarded after every record played. With some portables of this type of design, the whole tonearm and soundbox/reproducer detaches and stows in the horn before closing the lid, maybe along with the winding handle/crank. Could there once have been a clip(s) of some kind in there? Some I've seen appear to have the tonearm and crank just loose in that cavity for carrying around, not a good design! However this type of machine was at the low, "no frills" end of the market.

As Andy says, this seems to be one of Alba's lower priced portables, but it is attractive to look at.
Some machines had a small dish with a sponge pad into which the soundbox rested, but that is not the case here. Perhaps the soundbox originally came in a cardboard box to protect it when it was removed from the tonearm.

You will be lucky to find an Alba catalogue, but here is one of their advertisements in "The Sound Wave", a magazine aimed mainly at the trade.
Also pictured is my Alba 555 portable. It and my Armstrong Siddeley motor car next to it have since been sold.

P.S. Someone needs to move this thread to "British and European Machines".

Orchorsol wrote:Welcome Toby, yes your portable looks really nice!

I can only make suggestions on a few of the points you raise... Yes, some portables had a threaded stud in the lid to stow records on, a cheaper/simpler option than a pocket or album. The clip in the lid is probably for a tin of needles - constantly required because they should be discarded after every record played. With some portables of this type of design, the whole tonearm and soundbox/reproducer detaches and stows in the horn before closing the lid, maybe along with the winding handle/crank. Could there once have been a clip(s) of some kind in there? Some I've seen appear to have the tonearm and crank just loose in that cavity for carrying around, not a good design! However this type of machine was at the low, "no frills" end of the market.

Thanks very much!
Re the clip for the needle tin, I have been using it for that very purpose anyhow! I shall have a look around the horn for any evidence of clips and clasps.

Thanks again,

Toby

epigramophone wrote:As Andy says, this seems to be one of Alba's lower priced portables, but it is attractive to look at.
Some machines had a small dish with a sponge pad into which the soundbox rested, but that is not the case here. Perhaps the soundbox originally came in a cardboard box to protect it when it was removed from the tonearm.

You will be lucky to find an Alba catalogue, but here is one of their advertisements in "The Sound Wave", a magazine aimed mainly at the trade.
Also pictured is my Alba 555 portable. It and my Armstrong Siddeley motor car next to it have since been sold.

P.S. Someone needs to move this thread to "British and European Machines".

Thanks for that. All helpful info.
And yes, apologies, I’ll delete this and post again in the correct place

Toby

Easier said than done... how do I delete a thread? Or is that out of my hands?

Deleting this thread will lose all the information in it. Best to post just once in the first place.

Orchorsol wrote:Deleting this thread will lose all the information in it. Best to post just once in the first place.

Yeah my bad, I thought I could delete - it appears I can’t. My posting debut on this forum has gone well.
Re the threaded stud for the storage of the records, do you know what sort of thing typically screwed on the end of the stud to secure the records? A big disc or something small? I can’t seem to find any images of portables with this sort of set up

Toby

Welcome and don't worry about the thread being in the wrong section... who cares? There are much more important concerns...

As far as the threaded record holding rod, there was probably a hold down that looked like a threaded knurled nut with an attached washer. If you are handy, it would be easy to make if you can find some sort of brass knurled nut, which you would then drill and tap to the matching thread pitch of the existing rod... Then find a brass washer large enough to hold the records, drill it so it fits over the rod and then solder the nut and washer together... Or, find the appropriate size wing nut and a washer to fit and that would suffice. Improvising this hold down is not a problem, since not many people have seen an Alba or know what the hold down should lookk like. Good luck on your nice portable...

I agree with Curt, something like that will work perfectly and be close to the original part - I know I've seen portables with the same kind of thing, quite primitive, but I can't seem to remember exactly what.

And agreed, it's a really minor point about posting once or in which section, I didn't mean to be overbearing at all, hence the wink!