The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Greetings,

I recently picked up an Australian HMV machine (Zealand) which appears to be quite similar in style to the Victrola viii - it has a ‘Gramola’ soundbox which looks identical to the ‘Exhibition’ but without the rubber isolator - the back is solid brass, inc the connector which is part of the rear assembly. Is this normal not having a rubber isolator? I wonder if I can optimise the contact to the arm somehow..?

The other thing is that the motor slows down to a halt when I use fibre needles but is fine for steel needles. The motor appears like it has been overhauled in recent years with plyable grease, although I haven’t checked the double spring internally… luckily there are many tutorials to assist here and I will aim to give it a full overall over summer, taking particular care not to lose the tiny ball bearings!

As the ‘Gramola’ soundbox is so heavy, I also wonder if a simple counterweight can be fashioned - especially in view of my desire to use fibre needs? What have others done in this circumstance?

Thanks for your thoughts

Cheers,

Stephen

Gramola was a budget brand of The Gramophone Company and was built down to a price.
The all metal soundbox would have been cheaper to manufacture than the Exhibition.

langleycello wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 8:30 am As the ‘Gramola’ soundbox is so heavy, I also wonder if a simple counterweight can be fashioned - especially in view of my desire to use fibre needs? What have others done in this circumstance?

Regular users of thorn needles usually find that weight actually helps playing through a record. The point has been discussed a pair of times on the board, also recently here:
viewtopic.php?p=349267

Thanks to you both for points of clarification. Seems like the Gramola soundbox is a cheap knock-off the Exhibition, without the flexible rubber isolator - probably not great for records… Maybe I should concentrate on overhauling the motor as it struggles when I use fibre needles - they seem to last well on other machines however (when i harden them with wood hardener and the air dryer). Thanks again for your thoughts.

I do like the knurling on the face of the Gramola soundbox.

I suspect the differences between the Gramola and Exhibition sound boxes was as much to do with branding as cost saving. The absence of the rubber back would make only a small saving, and that lovely knurling would add a bit to the cost. There was also a slight difference in the diameter of the tone-arm and the corresponding socket on the sound box, presumably to ensure that the two brands were not interchangeable!