System #3
- Thread starter Tony L
- Start date
lordsummit
Moderator
cool. Always wanted a gramophone, and that's a lovely one.
You'll find 78s have certain qualities which are sadly lacking in LPs, let alone CDs, an immediacy that can be quite beguiling. There are poeple who argue that the switch to microgroove records was a retrograde step, but then, somebody always argues that with every technology change.
paulfromcamden
Baffled
That is indeed a lovely looking thing. How does it sound?
Tony L
Administrator
Very good. It's almost certainly NOS, the person I bought it from (a Buy It Now on eBay) said his father bought it new and never used it, it even had it's test certificate tied around the centre spindle, though it has no manual. It has it's key and lots of new needles in the little draw at the side. The internals are in stunning shape, the externals are very good indeed for age, but could do with just a little light restoration as the tolex covering has lifted a little at the rear left and there is the odd scuff that would benefit from a bit of boot polish or whatever. Luckily an old guy who lives down the terrace from me restores these things as a hobby, so I have a wealth of help and advice available. I've already given the mechanism an oil where one should, though the original grease looks fine to me so I've left that be. Initially the pitch was a bit wobbly, but that seems to have settled down now I've wound it a good few times. I'm sure it's working exactly as it should - it sounds really good!
Tony.
jackbarron
Chelsea, London
Nice ...
Jack
Jack
Tony L
Administrator
Older! I make it 49.3! (the Lenco L70 was made in 1963, the 301 in 1959 and the HMV in 1956).
Tony.
Tony L
Administrator
This one dates from right at the very end of production, wind up gramophones were pretty much extinct by then. The Model 102 was first introduced in 1931 IIRC and went through several minor revisions during it's long life. Mine is a 102H and the test tag is dated November 11 1956, i.e. when this one was made the Garrard 301 had already been on the market for a couple of years (it was introduced in 1954), and stereo LPs were only just over a year away, so it was decidedly old technology by then. By saying that it dates from exactly the right period to spin those Elvis, Buddy Holly & Little Richard 78s that I sadly don't own yet.
I think so, but I only have steel at present. The tracking weight is scary - really, really heavy! lowering the head and seriously sharp needle onto your finger is close to the weight that would draw blood! I can't imagine a disk standing up to too many plays, but by saying that you are meant to change needle after every side, so I guess they wear real fast.
Tony.
Steel needles should be used once only & discarded. Cane needles (triangualr shape) can be bought and need a special clipper to cut them fo re-use. Unfortunately they seem to be rather soft these days & rarely last one side without getting sibillant. I also have thorn needles which I got the other day but for these you need a sharpener!
My 1924 Garrard table model had not been used for some time when I bought it and after working perfectly for a bit started to show signs of fatigue. Once the spring had been taken out & re-greased however it is now fabulous. By the way: never let a wind up gramaphone wind down completely; it will start to give trouble.
However the best reproduction has to be electrically through a re-equalising phono stage or equivalent and audiophile needles; an expensive way to go.
Sorry, I am completely unable to upload a photo to the site
Cheers
Newboy
My 1924 Garrard table model had not been used for some time when I bought it and after working perfectly for a bit started to show signs of fatigue. Once the spring had been taken out & re-greased however it is now fabulous. By the way: never let a wind up gramaphone wind down completely; it will start to give trouble.
However the best reproduction has to be electrically through a re-equalising phono stage or equivalent and audiophile needles; an expensive way to go.
Sorry, I am completely unable to upload a photo to the site
Cheers
Newboy
Tony L
Administrator
Could you please elaborate on that one as it's different to what I'd been led to believe. I understood one should never store them with the spring tensioned. So far I've found the speed stability has improved a lot on mine now it's been wound up and run down a good few times, but as I mentioned earlier I suspect this is a new old stock item, i.e. it's just old, not worn in any way.
Tony.
PS picture upload instructions in the FAQ at the top of the screen - I'd love to see your Garrard, I didn't realise they made wind-up gramophones.
Patrick Dixon
Imagineer
You should run it right down and then put a turn or two on it. IIRC this stops the spring end from disengaging - but I could have remembered that wrong.
Replacing or repacking the spring is apparently a very messy and somewhat dangerous job, but I doubt it needs doing on a youngster like yours!
Replacing or repacking the spring is apparently a very messy and somewhat dangerous job, but I doubt it needs doing on a youngster like yours!
Patrick Dixon
Imagineer
The thing about needle/record wear is interesting. Diamonds are the hardest substance known to man but running a diamond stylus in a vinyl grove wears the diamond down - which seems almost unbelievable. Len Gregory once told me that the vinyl actually melts as the stylus traverses the groove.
Shellac is obviously different, and using 'soft' steel needles I guess isn't so bad. Did you know that you can get different needles for loud and soft - volume control for gramophones (although mine also has doors on the internal horn that you can open and close).
My HMV 103 - around 1926
Shellac is obviously different, and using 'soft' steel needles I guess isn't so bad. Did you know that you can get different needles for loud and soft - volume control for gramophones (although mine also has doors on the internal horn that you can open and close).
My HMV 103 - around 1926
Tony L
Administrator
I'll do that, thanks. I'll mention it to the old guy who lives down the terrace who restores these things too and see what he says.
Tony.
PS is that a HMV Model 109? The guy down the road was working on one a while back, it's a lovely thing. He's got a larger floor-standing one with a big internal horn too, it sounds superb. Can't remember what model that one is.