Show us your phonographs

[danrulz98]

Pay for shipping and its yours... I'll find how much it is. PM me your address

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by Bill Cahill

Guys, I appreciate very much your taking the time to show your different equipment, and, it's interesting, however, I make a request here.
There is already a section in AK fro modern component stereso, and, the such...

Well, I threw in the Pro-Ject simply because it was the only one I was leaving out. As far as anything else, Bill you know as well as I do that the general AK reaction to most all changers and anything else that can't track at a gram and a half is "I wouldn't play my vinyl on it."

I think those here on VK would be more apt to help those with "consumer grade" stuff without the (for lack of a better word) snobbish attitudes. That's what I was thinking when I suggested a forum for record players over here.

[Bill Cahill]

I wasn't trying to be snobbish at all. Grumpy had stated that AK phonographs was primarilly for high end stuff, and, late stuff, all SS. No tube, really. It had taken on a natural form of just going into late direct drive, belt drive, SS amplifiers, etc...
He wanted video Karma to cover the rest that was being missed at AK. That's all it was. And, I agree with him. We want to make sure all bases are covered.
I've seen some excellent photos here already. Keep bringing 'em on...
I love the old consumer equipment, myself.
True. Some of it I would never use phonos on, especially most earlier RCA's, Earlier Stromberg Carlson slicer changers, etc. I'd just be watching them peel the shelac off my records.
But, they are fun to look at. And, besides, I think highly of companies such as Newcomb, The 50's RCA's, Symphonic, etc.....
Most of my Newcomb machines are very gentle on records.
So is my 1963 Symphonic Stereo.
I'll have to post more pics of some of my toyz.
I love 'em all....
Bill Cahill

[Bill Cahill]

And, here are some of my toyz.
First one, my Edison William And, Mary diamond disc phonograph.

Next, my Phonola High Fidelity record player.

Next, my soon to be restored RCA Victor one tube wonder.

My Magnavox High Fidelity record player.

My 1950 RCA Victor Dammaged New 45 player deck.

My Symphonic Stereo phonograph.

My favorite Newcomb. My 1947 TR-16 2 spd. transcription player.

My Marconi children's record player.

My Symphonic clock Phonograph..

And, for now, last, but, not least, an earlier picture of my Grantline 78 player from 1946, and, my Webster Chicago 3 spd. fonograf, 1950.


Bill Cahill

[radiotvnut]

Nice machines, Bill! I think I remember you posting about that Phonola being a real high fidelity player, instead of the "one tube wonder" that one might think at first glance, on ARF. One day, I hope to find one of those early Newcomb transcription players, as well as one of the maroon cased Newcomb R12 models. I thought I had a line on a maroon R12; but, the owner must have fallen off the face of the Earth. Oh well, there will be another one, I'm sure. And, my former sunday school teacher has one of those Edison diamond disc players in beautiful condition. Every time I see him, I jokingly ask him if he's about ready to give it to me.

I would like to find a picture of one of those old '30's springwound AFB talking book players so that I could see what the correct tonearm looks like. I can't believe someone took off the original and replaced it with some '50's kiddie player tonearm. I'm sure the cartridge was a high output crystal type fitted with a 1 mil. stylus and the headphones were driven directly from the cartridge output.

[RitchieMars]

With as many records as I have, you'd think I have some good turntables... but no, I really don't. Only a couple of them work properly, and most of the vinyl and shellac I spin get's played on my cheap little Crosley where most 45's sound trebly and horrible.

Here's my '42 Admiral with it's Slide-A-Away 78 changer. Needs a new rubber for the idler wheel.



This is my RCA 45HY4 which will sound great once I recap it and get a couple tubes. It got destroyed in the mail... shattered the bakelite into dozens of peices and broke the tip off one of the 35C5's. It's a wonder I got it back together, at all...

Here's what it looked like when I unpacked it: ( WARNING: Viewer descretion is advised. )



Here's what it looks like today. I haven't gotten around to doing the bodywork and hiding those seams, but it's come a long way since it got here:



And this is some kind of RCA add-on that my aunt had for one of her old stereo's. It seems to work fine, but I'll need a new needle.

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by RitchieMars

And this is some kind of RCA add-on that my aunt had for one of her old stereo's. It seems to work fine, but I'll need a new needle.

If that is an RCA-built changer it has to be one of the last ones.

[RitchieMars]

On the bottom label, it say's it a model RK368A, RCA "Modular Series."

[radiotvnut]

Here's another talking book player for the blind. The label inside the lid was printed in October, 1955 and it's a model "C" built by Dewald and plays 33 1/3 rpm only. I do have a question concerning the cartridge. The original cartridge is missing and the label indicates that it takes and electrovoice power point cartridge with dual sapphire needles; but, it does not give a type number. It says that in order to use the other needle, the cartridge is to be pulled from it's holder and re-installed with the other needle in the play position. I tried mounting a regular Astatic 89T holder; but, the mounts are spaced further apart on this tonearm. Does anyone have any idea what cartridge went in this player? I need the holder as well as the cartridge part numbers.

[Bill Cahill]

My feeling is Astatic 86T. These machines are not HI FI, though.
They played talking books, and, as such, had to play at very high frequencies.
Bill Cahill

[radiotvnut]

Thanks for the information!

I guess I'm probably one of the few that collects these old "talking book" players.

If anyone has any of these types of players in their collection, I'd like to see them.

[Bill Cahill]

Actually, I have 3 myself.
I'm trying to convert an old 8 rpm to 78.
I have one two speed, and, one SS brown plastic SS toy made in 70's.
Bill Cahill

[radiotvnut]

When I was a kid during the '80's, the main ones I remember being in circulation at the time were the models in a colored plastic case from the '70's. The beige one (A77) and green ones (A79) were most common around here. I think those stayed in production until the A1 (one I have pictured) came out. There's actually a couple of those plastic ones on ebay right now. The only solid state model that I'd like to find is the AE5. I think that was the first SS model and was in a large two-tone blue case.

I know a lady who lost her eyesight back in the '60's and she said she had one of the old wooden cased models and she kept it well into the plastic solid state era because she said she didn't care for the plastic models. She said that when records became obsolete, she tried to return it to the library; but, they told her that it was too old and for her to do as she pleased with it. Then, she was going to give it to me and couldn't find it (she probably tossed it and forgot doing so).

Someone told me that the two speed models actually used a 4 speed mechanism that had a plastic stop on the speed control lever, preventing the lever from being moved to the 45 or 78 positions. The person who was telling me this said the stop could be broken off with a pair of pliers and the machine would play the other two speeds.

[radiotvnut]

Here's my RCA 45HY4 that's currently apart for restoration.





My '49 Admiral phonograph/radio/TV combo.



My '60 Magnavox stereo.







The last of my talking book players, a modified version of the popular Philco radio with slide in 78 rpm phono. This one has been modified to play 33 and 78, has a lever to raise the tonearm, and a device to move the tonearm to the desired position on the record. The metal tag on the rear of the machine reads "talking book reproducer, model AC-47, American foundation for the blind". Here are several pictures of it taken apart. I really need to get back on this one.

[radiotvnut]

Here are a few more.

Ambassador tube type mono unit from around 1960. Uses a Telefunken changer.



Cheap Lafayette stereo portable from the early '60's. Has a BSR changer and it's one of those cheap models with seperate L and R volume.



Early '50's Silvertone manual player in need of much TLC.


'59 Silvertone "syntronic" hi-fi phonograph. Changer built by Crescent and the amp was built by Warwick Electronics.