The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here’s a project. Noticed the horns in those fake Indian machines is proportionally quite nice for a Vic E. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can make a sturdy connection to the elbow let me know. I drilled a hole in the horn and put a screw in it so the elbow would have something to grab onto.

Did this Vic E come with an original horn? If so, my advice would be to use the original horn.

The Gourd-o-Horns are better looking and, being a single piece of gourd husk, would be less prone to buzz or rattle. Indian manufacturing can be decent but this is not an example of that.

I bought a crapo reproducer awhile ago to convert to a piezoelectric pickup but it was so poorly made it wasn't even usable.

I believe most collectors would not do this. A serious collector wants their machines to be as original as possible. To each their own-----To enjoy

Come on, guys, let's not sound like a bunch of old frumps raining on PTR's parade. It might actually be interesting to find out whether those much-maligned horns can give decent sound if connected to something better than a crapophone. (I'm not betting on it, but we won't know without trying, right?) If he's having fun, let him have fun; it's not as if this proposal does anything irreversible to a precious rarity, like gutting a Hexaphone to install modern electronics, and as far as "keep it as authentic as possible," well, people have been swapping horns on machines since about 10 minutes after the first one went on sale. We need people to enjoy the hobby, which, in case you haven't noticed, isn't in particularly good health at the moment.

[/SERMON]

I have no great words of wisdom to offer about an elbow other than an idea: this might be a natural project for a 3D printer. If you have access to one and know or can learn how to do design work for it, I'd give that a try.

PeanutTheRabbit wrote: Thu Aug 29, 2024 1:03 am Here’s a project. Noticed the horns in those fake Indian machines is proportionally quite nice for a Vic E. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can make a sturdy connection to the elbow let me know. I drilled a hole in the horn and put a screw in it so the elbow would have something to grab onto.

Hey, it’s your talking machine. The TMF police aren’t going to come and lock you up.

So many of these machines are found missing components, improvising can suffice until the proper horn is found.

But just don’t later sell and pass that crapophone as an original. Then the TMF police will come for you!

Doesn't look bad and it's easily reversible. If it sounds good and you like it- no harm.
Can you show us the issue with how it mounts up? Maybe we can come up with something for the sturdier connection you were asking about.

Maybe consider polishing the brass and getting rid of that "made to look old" look.
Or paint it black, or anything but that phony patina.

What about making a conical adaptor out of tinplate, or from a beer can? It must not be too difficult...

These horns are so thin, their sound quality is horrible.