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South Carolina is not a prime hunting ground for British machines but the other day, through barter, I started the deal on a little English-made floor model on four long legs, small enough I thought it was a child's gramophone at first .

Under the lid is a decal reading "The 'Vokal' Gramophone" and a 12” turntable. It has a curved tonearm, no autobrake, and an "Alba" soundbox which looks like a nice bit of gear really with the aluminum/duralumin diaphragm and a mask. It will need rebuilt but it plays.

The motor is a small thing with probably 1 or 2 springs.

Someone painted the cabinet and the lid has some damaged veneer on one corner, but the underside of the lid is ok and so is the original decal. Grille cloth is messed up and there's a metal horn like on an Amberola 30.

The machine is pretty cute and I feel like bartering for it was a good deal. Will get pictures when life and my incredibly sketchy electronics permit. Dealer said it was one he'd thought about throwing away (probably due to the paint) but he kept it. Now I'm going to have it to fix it up and keep.

Anyone ever see a "Vokal"?

I've seen it before, either In the web or in this forum.... Did t you search here?
edit: in the web there are several examples, some very beautiful...!

I've had a plain upright Vokal cabinet model pass through my hands, maybe 10 years ago or so - a local vintage/retro shop sold it on for me. It's an 'off-brand', i.e. simply constructed using generic parts, probably by a furniture making concern.

The Alba soundbox will be a later replacement. A Vokal may prove hard to find.

I'm probably going to just get the paint off it, refinish and repair the cabinet, and go through the mechanism just to get it working right. The Alba soundbox stays; nothing wrong with an upgraded soundbox.

Definitely not exquisitely made but it's a change from the American off brands you see now and then.

Is it one of these?

https://www.pamono.co.uk/20th-century-v ... gramophone

If so, it's quite typical of the faux Jacobean "Gothic" revival seen in furniture of the late 20's and 1930's. That tonearm was presumably of Swiss manufacture and appears on Decca's, Alba's and Apollo's of the period.

My Vokal cabinet machine has an ALBA soundbox as well so it is probably correct....

@Gramtastic sounds like another reason to keep the Alba reproducer.

@Steve no it's much smaller and more modern-looking, with a plain gothic style grill and no doors. It's quite narrow too and just has a slot for about 16 discs accessed through the lid.

You are right about the Swiss tonearm.

Something about the plainness and simplicity screams 1930s styling, and I want to pair it with some Craftsman furniture.

My Vokal with ALBA soundbox

Here it is. I'm going to pick it up awhile later; was at the same store helping the shopkeeper fix a large cabinet upright.

I have to get that paint off and fix some missing veneer but otherwise it'll be a fine small upright.

I don't know whether the model has a name or not.