Hello everybody

[CptBob]

Hi everybody,

I'm new here so I thought it would be polite to introduce myself before launching into loads of what might be daft questions. I couldn't find an introductions section, so here seems as good as anywhere.

I'm in the second half of my 50s and have just retired, which is a result of public sector cuts in the UK and my desire to get out while the going's good. I will work again - I keep promising! My other hobby apart from music is cycling. We ride a tandem and have completed a few tours to South West France. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/Robert82 That explains my user name - a couple of people call me Captain Bob in real life (a tandem crew constists of Captain or pilot and the all important stoker. Don't call her a passenger! She won't like it). Unfortunately I'm waiting for an angiogram and all cycling is on hold but I'm finding things to do. Actually I've been very impressed with the response of the NHS, which has been very quick and has taken things very seriously.

I'm very new to gramophones, but have been looking for one for a long time. Whether I was looking in the right places is debabable. I'm coming to the hobby from the music as much as anything. I play French (and English) traditional music in a band based in Sussex, (that's me in the avatar) but we stray into the bal musette repertoire which I love. I've spent a lot of time listening to CD transfers of records of accordeonists made in th3 1930s and 40s and thought that it would be a fine thing to listen to them on a gramophone on the original 78s.

I spend quite a bit of time in South West France, we have a house there, and have looked at several gramophones in Vide Greniers (literally empty the attic) the French equivalent of car boot sales. They've all been very expensive to my mind, looked very rough or didn't work. That didn't stop me buying a big box of records for €4. I came across a gramophone on the Monday of Pentecote in a vide. It looked reasonably tidy it worked, the guy was only asking €100 for it and crucially I was on my own (only joking). Off I walked with a smile on my face wondering exactly what I bought. I should have done my research first!

It turned out to be a French HMV 101.


IMG_5691 by RWPD, on Flickr


IMG_5774 by RWPD, on Flickr

I believe that the sound box could do with some attention.


IMG_5692 by RWPD, on Flickr

Back in the UK for a couple of weeks I spent a weekend at home when my partner was away - and went a bit mad on eBay, I bought some records and another gramophone an HMV 145.


IMG_5473 by RWPD, on Flickr

It sounds fantastic with the right record, I'm listening to Vera Lynne accompanied by Mantovani and his orchestra, what is happening to me? I have lots of questions about it which I'll leave to subsequent posts.


IMG_5473 by RWPD, on Flickr

Back in France the weekend before last, we went on our usual vide grenier trip. It's something to do on a Sunday and now I'm on the look-out for records, so there's more of a focus. I missed out on a very reasonable Thorens portable, which I was in the process of buying when the chap who'd agreed to buy it some time earlier in the day came back with the money. He told the seller he was going to the cash machine for money. The seller clearly didn't believe him and was about to take my money. Never mind.

I did manage to buy a few nice bal musette records and a three Martin Cayla records on the Le Soleil [sic] label. As an aside, I do wonder about Martin Cayla, surely his records could have never been mainstream. Was it vanity publishing or was he trying to get the music of the Auvergne out to a wider audience? They are hard core traditional and you have to like the sound of the cabrette to listen to one through.

By now my partner was getting nervous about what's looking like a dangerous hobby. She knows what I'm like. I've got a few bikes, but they're in the shed.

Last Sunday we went to another vide, and I bought this.


IMG_5828 by RWPD, on Flickr


IMG_5829 by RWPD, on Flickr


IMG_5830 by RWPD, on Flickr

I would imagine this one is out of the scope of this forum because it's electric and it plays 33 and 45 rpm records as well as 78s. My partner's scowl helped the price down, which was good. The guy said it worked and she was surprised to see the turntable move when I risked life and limb and plugged it in. I haven't managed to play a record on it yet, I need to find suitable plugs to connect it to an amplifier. I'm wondering where my parents' old ECKO radio went. I'll have to look in the attic.

So that's about it from me, sorry this post is so long.

[HisMastersVoice]

Welcome! That French 101 is awesome!

[beaumonde]

I have a UK sibling to your French 101. It dates from about 1929. You should look for a replacement brass No. 4 reproducer -- they come up on eBay occasionally, most in your neck of the woods. Rebuilding them is another story, but I'm sure there are hobbyists in the UK who repair phonos and rebuild soundboxes.

Here's mine:

[epigramophone]

Welcome from another Public Sector Pensioner!

Like Beaumonde's, your 101 is a late model, as evidenced by the automatic turntable brake and the lid mountings for the winding handle. I agree that replacement is the best solution for your soundbox, which appears to have a bad case of metal fatigue.

I owned an HMV145 for over 40 years, and a very fine machine it was. I only let it go to a friend and fellow collector when other acquisitions created a space problem. He lives in the same village, so I can still see and hear it whenever I get withdrawal symptoms.

[Brad]

Welcome to the board Captain. Looks like you have the phonograph bug and are starting to process of filling every available nook and cranny of your home with these wonderful toys.

We are primarily a wind up bunch here, however, electrics do show up and are welcome, especially if they are something special.

A few of here are also avid cyclists so you are among friends. I checked out your ride journals, well done, we are kindred spirits. You might enjoy my musing over my ride up the Alaska Highway http://bradsalcanadventure.blogspot.com/

As long as you remember the first law of tandeming: "The stoker is NEVER wrong!", you will be able to continue to bring home more phono's. Below is a picture of me and my team, and yes, she is NEVER EVER wrong (or so she tells me )

[CptBob]

Great tandem! There's nothing like riding a tandem. No getting separated and you can keep chatting all day. A big advantage for my stoker, who funnily enough is also NEVER wrong! She can indulge herself in her two favourite hobbies simultaneously - Cycling and Talking

I'd love to do a tour like yours. One day we will do a big tour - something like crossing America.
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