News 2019
19th November 2019
Today I've managed to add two new video clips to the website. The first is of the green HMV102 play a recording by Tommy Dorsey and the second is of the newly refurbished Pathe Portable playing 'Moonlight in Mexico' by Ambrose and his Orchestra.
14th November 2019
After many long months the second of this years purchases, a 1930's Pathé portable, has been refurbished and added to the collection and photos pages. Hopefully I'll be able to find time soon to film some video clips of both new machines.
28th July 2019
The first of my two most recent acquisitions, a lovely 1934/35 HMV-102 in green, has just been added to the collection and photos pages. The second machine is still an on-going project.
15th July 2019
I’ve just realised how long it’s been since I last posted any news updates so here’s a quick catch-up. There are currently two new machines in my collection which are going through the workshop before being added to the website. The first is a slightly earlier (c.1933/34) HMV102 in green which was acquired recently and is just being completed. In generally very good condition throughout, and fitted with the later 5B soundbox, it’s currently being cleaned and fully lubricated/serviced. The second recent acquisition is a Pathé portable which is going to require some more serious work to repair the damaged governor. I’ll add more updates on both of these machines as work progresses. The collection of records, needle tins and accessories also continues to grow at a slow-but-steady pace.
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13th February 2019
I think it must definitely be time for a news update. No new machines have made their way into my collection recently but all of the gramophones are still getting regular use and general maintenance to keep them in good working order. I still add records to my collection fairly regularly and try to post YouTube clips as often as I can. I also still get a lot of contact from people who have acquired - either bought or inherited - reproduction gramophones that they mistakenly believe to be genuine. A couple of years ago I added a page to this website specifically to cover these machines and how to recognise them but many people still seem to be confused - to the point that I've been called some pretty rude names after having to tell someone that their machine is a fake! I think one of the problems is that people are unaware of just how long these reproductions have been around and I'm often told I "must be wrong" because their parents or grandparents have had the gramophone for over 30 years. Well . . . they've certainly been around that long. In fact fake gramophones or 'Crap-O-Phones' have been readily available since the 1970's so it's not impossible that somebody may have had one of these machines for nearly 50 years . . . but it's still a fake. There is plenty of information available online and I would encourage everybody to research properly before they make a purchase. As a matter of interest - and just so you can see what kind of value-for-money you wouldn't be getting from such a machine - take a look at this screenshot from one of the Indian Export Websites. For 1,200 Indian Rupees (Currently £13.16p) you can obtain, direct from the factory, a fake 'His Master's Voice' horn gramophone - regularly advertised on Ebay (other online auction sites are available) for £150-£200. It's also worth noting that they list availability as 3000 units per month! It's no wonder that the European markets are flooded with these rubbish machines. End of rant!
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18th February 2019
Two new video clips have been added today:- The Albany Dance Orchestra performing "Nights in the Woods" on my Zonophone Model 1, and my HMV Model 102 with Jack Payne & His Orchestra and a 1932 recording of the waltz "Paradise".
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13th January 2019
Today I've added a new video clip of my blue crocodile HMV Model 101 with a recording of the great Australian tenor Peter Dawson singing "Phil The Fluter's Ball".
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