HMV tonearm volume control?

[Steve]

Is this a genuine HMV / Victor part? I've recently acquired another HMV No. 7 with this arrangement on the tone-arm. I have seen it before but I cannot recall where as it was a long time ago. The centre knurled knob allows you to depress or pull out a metal stopper to partially close the aperture of the arm at the junction with the goose neck. Sliding the stopper allows for attenuation of the sound volume.

[CarlosV]

First time I see such contraption, it may be a third party product sold at the time.

[Steve]

Thank you, Carlos. I did wonder if that might be what it was. I shall definitely keep it as part of the gramophone and a novelty of an accessory.

[Steve]

Quite well made.

[Hoodoo]

Does it do a good job of reducing the volume or does it cut out some frequencies more than others?

[Inigo]

The devices, as well as closing the doors, etc, always change the frequency mixture we perceive, the wave blocking effect is not the same for all frequencies.

[jamiegramo]

I’ve a feeling I’ve seen this before but wasn’t sure what it was. Simple but effective, thank you for posting especially the inside shot. If HMV/Victor didn’t offer it they should have, only with a gooseneck tonearm could such a problem be solved so easily especially when you consider other alternatives such as Pathé’s Day and Night model which actually needed to have two horns and Edison’s mute ball which is more complicated in comparison to this simple gooseneck device.

[Steve]

The devices, as well as closing the doors, etc, always change the frequency mixture we perceive, the wave blocking effect is not the same for all frequencies.

You are quite correct!

[Steve]

Does it do a good job of reducing the volume or does it cut out some frequencies more than others?

It effectively does both: reduces the volume and cuts down some of the shrillness associated with the Exhibition.