The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I recently found this video on YouTube,
[youtubehq]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMHZgUZNRwY[/youtubehq]

My skills at German are fairly limited, so I didn't completely get the German description below the video. It seems that this was a specially-made limited edition machine.

Anyway I never knew Phillips actually made a horn phonograph (gramophone)! Although I knew that the company made 78s in the 40s and 50s, I know nothing about the machines they made - in fact, I never saw any Phillips 'gramophone'.

The machine looks quite interesting, but since both the audio and the video quality is somewhat poor, I cannot tell whether this machine is a real acoustic phonograph or a electrical record player disguised as a acoustic phonograph.

Anyone knows more about this machine?

Also, I recently heard that some Train model company made a cylinder phonograph in 1950s - wonder anyone knows about that one, too.

The video won't play, so I can't see for myself but what I can say is that Philips never made acoustic gramophones. Their first electric record player dates from around 1931 and was a rather crude machine, with a short heavy arm that was not friendly to your precious records. Until the 70s all Philips record players were rather cheaply made and heavy tracking.
I can hardly imagine that the thing shown in the video is an 80s Philips gimmick, Philips wasn't into that type of stuff.

Edit: the video now plays. It is a type of electric Crapophone, you can clearly see the cartridge below the 'soundbox'. And that sure looks like one of the late Philips ceramic cartridges. Maybe some limited edition for the Asian market?

To my knowledge, Philips did indeed made the these machines in the 1980's. I have recently tried one myself, it's all plastic. It is actually an electric turntable with an electric pickup cartridge (yes, likely ceramic). The music does come out of the horn but from a small speaker mounted in there. It does also play regular vinyl but at 10g weight I wouldn't feel any comfortable to use it that way.

Quote: Also, I recently heard that some Train model company made a cylinder phonograph in 1950s - wonder anyone knows about that one, too.

The toy train company Lionel made a replica plastic cylinder phonograph which after assembly would record and play back on a small wax cylinder. The cylinder could be shaved and recorded over several times. This model was part of a group of Famous Inventor kits that celebrated the work of Edison and others. It came with a little bust of Edison.
I know all this because I REALLY wanted one when they were listed in the Sears Christmas catalog around 1960. I didn't get it!
I've seen complete unused kits sell on Ebay for several hundred dollars.
Bob

Bob, wouldn't you rather have a 700E Hudson?

I wish I had ALL my Lionel trains from the post-war period up to about 1956! I could kick myself for selling them (too cheaply, at that!) back in the 1960s.

barnettrp21122 wrote:
The toy train company Lionel made a replica plastic cylinder phonograph which after assembly would record and play back on a small wax cylinder. The cylinder could be shaved and recorded over several times. This model was part of a group of Famous Inventor kits that celebrated the work of Edison and others. It came with a little bust of Edison.
I know all this because I REALLY wanted one when they were listed in the Sears Christmas catalog around 1960. I didn't get it!
I've seen complete unused kits sell on Ebay for several hundred dollars.
Bob

Ah, yes, I had one of those as a kid in the late '60's. Never did get it to work, though......

I have an even earlier memory of a little plastic Berliner-type machine, which my grandmother demonstrated to my brother: that particular memory is what I believe started me on the way to becoming a collector....

-Bill