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Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment.

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Old 10th Sep 2018, 6:07 pm   #1
vlads55
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Default Please help to identify this unit.

Hello,
I found this record changer. Unfortunately there are no any labels on it. Please Help to identify the unit.
Thank you
Vladimir
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Old 10th Sep 2018, 10:09 pm   #2
Audio1950
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

I could well be wrong, but it looks like one of the Regentone models. The record changer is a Plessey from the late 50s.
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Old 11th Sep 2018, 9:01 am   #3
Edward Huggins
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

Yes it's a Plessey 3 speed auto changer from the early 1950s. These were used mainly by EMI and I would date the player as at c. 1954. These are pre-stereo but if it works, it will be suitable for very early Mono LPs, 45s and 78s. It certainly does look like one of those Regentone fibre-cased "Handygram" models. As Plessey built for Regentone, this may pre-date these. Or it may be an obscure EMI model.
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Old 12th Sep 2018, 1:40 pm   #4
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edward Huggins View Post
Yes it's a Plessey 3 speed auto changer from the early 1950s
Hello,
One man from another forum helped me to identyfy the unit. It's 1955 Regentone with Collaro changer.
Here it is the video from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h02NgyC0qfY May be in the future I will make my own video
The cartridge is ACOS HI-G. I cleaned it thoroughly and 33/78 needles plays fine.
On the other side of the changer there is a stamp. But mainly unreadable. The only thing I understood, that the unit was made in 1955.
I cleaned the unit and now it plays good. The only problem is idler wheel. It's not in a good condition so the speed a bit unstable.
With best regards,
Vladimir
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Old 12th Sep 2018, 9:38 pm   #5
Audio1950
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

Your informant may be right on model number and date etc, but the changer is definitely NOT a Collaro. It's a Plessey.
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Old 13th Sep 2018, 7:57 am   #6
Edward Huggins
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

I agree the video does not show a Regentone with a Collaro autochanger. I suggest the OP now does an online search for "Regentone Handygram 1955" (there's a single player version as well) and then he will quite clearly see that the unit he has is not one of these.
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Old 14th Sep 2018, 8:57 am   #7
vlads55
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

Thank you very much for everybody.
I will try to make a photo of the stamp on the back of the changer. May be it will clarify the manufacturer.
Now I know the manufacturer of the unit. I will try to investigate more about record changer
With best regards,
Vladimir
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 5:27 pm   #8
Graham G3ZVT
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

a comment below that youtube video says that machine was the first autochanger, I suspect it was 30 years too late for that accolade.
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 9:54 pm   #9
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

They probably weren't thinking about all the single speed 78 rpm record changers that had gone before and were just thinking in terms of multi speed vinyl players. In the case of the one shown in that video, it's an early one, but possibly the Garrard RC72 could well be several years earlier. However, the RC72, although having three speeds, only had automatic playing for ten and twelve inch record sizes, in fact it was only an automatic player and playing a seven inch record would have involved some trickery by the user.
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Old 16th Sep 2018, 10:11 am   #10
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

Hello,
Here are the photos from the back of the changer and from inside of the box
With best regards,
Vladimir
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Old 17th Sep 2018, 4:43 pm   #11
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

Ah, the brand name is Defiant, a brand of the co-operative movement in the UK.
Defiant manufacture would have been contracted out by the Co-Op so this unit could well have been manufactured by Regentone (or whoever their parent company was).
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Old 17th Sep 2018, 5:32 pm   #12
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Default Re: Please Help to identify the unit

Good information. Yes, the Co-op "Defiant" products were made by the UK Plessey Company which explains the use of that Plessey autochanger and the similarity with the Plessey made Regentone "Handygram". Yours has a 2 stage amplifier so should should sound better that the Regentone fibre cased models.
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Old 12th Oct 2018, 3:49 pm   #13
vlads55
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Default Re: Please help to identify this unit.

Hello,
I put the small presentation of the unit on YouYube. The text in cyrillic, but I hope it doesn't matter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0guDo2-eYY
With best regards,
Vladimir
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Old 13th Oct 2018, 8:37 am   #14
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Default Re: Please help to identify this unit.

Interesting use of the 'industrial' term Changer Amplifier.
Rather similar to my Miele commercial washing machine, which is termed a 'washer extractor' beause it has a spin function.
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