The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi to everyone, I'm new to this site and indeed to the world of gramophones/phonographs. I have had an interest in 78s for half a year or so now and have quite an extensive collection but never anything appropriately 'period' to play them on. So when by chance I should see a green HMV 102 in good order just lying on the floor in my local junk shop for £30 I just had to buy it. I did some research and found out that it was one of the earliest examples of a green 102 and still had a 'universal braking system' if im right dating from the first year of production. Slowly I began to restore it, I managed to get the motor to work perfectly, the tone arm to slide perfectly, the chrome to shine and the case nice and clean. The final hurdle to cross was to tackle the 5A soundbox, which although produced very good sound I thought for something that old, suffered from distortion of the sound reproduction of piano pieces. I took the chrome protector plate off the front and polished it up, i took the box off and a rubber mount was left on the end of the tone arm in order to give the diagphram a gentle dust with a cotton ear bud and attempted to place it all back. Although the general sound quality has changed little, i think the volume has been reduced and the clarity with it.I feel quite downhearted that I have impaired the quality of something that had survivedso well. Is it worth looking at or should I accept that I made a very very stupid beginners mistake and attempt to purchase another?

Many thanks,
Tom

Replace the soundbox, not the gramophone that is.

While I'm afraid I cannot offer any advice myself, I thought I would at least bump this back up to the top of the forum so somebody who can help you may perhaps see the post.

The HMV 5-A can be re-gasketed. The distortion you speak of has to do with the formerly soft rubber tone arm mount being hard as rock from age. It needs to be replaced. Did you damage the thin aluminium diaphragm?

Where can you buy new rubber gaskets from? And the pot metal back has broken, the rest was fine. So i'm just going to have to buy another and replace the gasket. I really dont know where you would get a new gasket from though.

Ive never had one of these apart but I thought that HMV used felt gaskets unlike the Victor equivalents. Does anyone know if this is correct? I just thought I had seen it discussed on this forum in the past - or am I imagining it?

S-B-H

Sorry. I meant the rubber tone arm connector. Not the felt gaskets inside.

Sorry, I meant the rubber tone arm connector. Not the felt gaskets inside.