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

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Old 11th Sep 2018, 7:10 pm   #21
firtree
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Default Re: A crapophone fix?

Graham, I selfishly wish she'd bought it, then I'd have some company in my quest But seriously, good save there.
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Old 11th Sep 2018, 7:23 pm   #22
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Default Re: A crapophone fix?

Two things I'd say,

It can't be denied that the thing does have an aesthetic charm,

and it was only by reading this forum, that I had it in my head the likelihood of it being an Indian reproduction.
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Old 11th Sep 2018, 7:30 pm   #23
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Graham, it does look quite pretty at that.
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Old 12th Sep 2018, 9:19 am   #24
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Originally Posted by firtree View Post
Audio1950, thank you for the advice! Do you perhaps know of any resources on how to assemble it correctly?
Unfortunately, gramophones are not standardised, in that there were literally hundreds of different makes, with no two using the same fittings, except in a very few cases. To make your gramophone usable, you would need a new back bracket (the thing that supports the arm and horn), a new arm of the right dimensions, a new horn to fit the new back bracket, and a new soundbox to fit the new arm. All these parts would have to be compatible, size-wise, and taking into account the effort required to find the parts, and the considerable cost, (if and when you did find them), my advice, I'm afraid, is to forget it.
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Old 12th Sep 2018, 9:35 am   #25
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Surely if the arm already there is about the right length, all that's needed is a soundbox and some tinsmith type ingenuity to fit it to the end of the arm. As long as the arm material is solderable to it should be possible.

It'll never match a decent period machine for sound, but if it works and doesn't chew up records (any more than said period machine at any rate), job done!
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Old 12th Sep 2018, 9:38 am   #26
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Default Re: A crapophone fix?

Have you tried playing your 78s on it? Given that even the originals were far from kind to your records you could always record the content of your records and play them as you suggested with an MP3 player discretely hidden in the cabinet. If you don't find that it plays satisfactorily then there is a wealth of early recordings available on the web.

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Old 12th Sep 2018, 10:14 am   #27
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Surely if the arm already there is about the right length, all that's needed is a soundbox and some tinsmith type ingenuity to fit it to the end of the arm. As long as the arm material is solderable to it should be possible.
The existing arm will accept a wide range of soundboxes without the need for any adapting, it's the other end, where the arm is sitting in the back bracket, that is the problem. Unlike original machines, these crapophones have no bearings at all, and are held in place by a crude bolt. No bearings = chewed up records.
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Old 12th Sep 2018, 9:59 pm   #28
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Ahh. Ingenuity with miniature ball races required too, then.
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Old 13th Sep 2018, 8:21 pm   #29
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Thanks all for your invaluable help. After careful consideration yes, I will have to agree, the task does look rather pointless. I'm afraid my ingenuity will probably kneel before the bearings, no idea how to even start, and I'll be left with a very decorative and quite big biscuit/peanut/snack box. There's a shop nearby that converts all types of records to mp3s, so if I ever feel the need to put together a very glitzy oversized mp3 player, I'm all set. The current feeling is one of despair, though, so I'll probably just throw a blanket over it until I can get to grips with the fact that this has been doomed from the start, I was just too foolish to see it.
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Old 13th Sep 2018, 9:38 pm   #30
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How about...... cut a slot in the base and fit a car radio/cd/MP3 etc unit?

You could recess it behind a door made from the cutout piece. There should be room for a suitable psu and a couple of small speakers either side too. Nothing too technical involved, just connecting a few wires and a bit of carpentry.

You could even pretend the result was made by Steepletone
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Old 14th Sep 2018, 1:19 am   #31
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It would be interesting to see what would happen if you fit a small speaker to act in place of the sound box.
The horn would act like an extended baffle to improve the bass response of a speaker out of a toy robot or other bit of junk.
It would at least make the sound come out in the intended place.
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Old 14th Sep 2018, 11:55 am   #32
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You'd certainly boost the output level like that by matching the speaker better to the atmosphere but I doubt you'd improve the bass much if any since the mouth of the horn is too small. It's similar to a typical PA speaker horn and probably less accurately exponential so I wouldn't expect much below around 300Hz.There're good reasons why hifi horns are large and the corner of a room is used in domestic versions.

On the other hand, it would sound quite similar to what the crapophone would have done if it wasn't crap! You could simply sneak in a woofer round the back of the box......
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Old 14th Sep 2018, 12:09 pm   #33
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It would still sound better than a flat screen TV speaker.
A speaker from an old small flat screen telly may well be just what you need.
All is needed it to fit the speaker with a disk of hard material and a pipe fitting from a DIY shed. It would be a reversible mod too.
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Old 14th Sep 2018, 1:52 pm   #34
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I got one as a gift a few years ago at xmas. Same as the one Rambo posted, but mine was in rough condition, rusted (and bent) turntable. Perhaps they tried to "age" it, I don't know. I know my mum paid good money for it and its presently in the loft till I can be bothered to offer it here FOC, a last resort before I bin it entirely. Has a Thorens motor though

I did consider turning it into some kind of project but its not worth my time, especially when I look at my round-to-it pile of interesting and proper vintage stuff
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Old 14th Sep 2018, 2:02 pm   #35
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Rather than hack it about and make it visually any worse than it is, maybe just do as you suggest, gradually relegate it and after a suitable period dispose of it.
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Old 14th Sep 2018, 2:13 pm   #36
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Quite a few people put gifts away in a place with easy access so that they can come out when the relatives that gave them visit.
I found a Kenwood chef in mint condition with the vinyl dust cover when the gearbox failed on ours (cracked casting). The seller was close by too so no shipping cost. It had never been used.
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Old 14th Sep 2018, 5:46 pm   #37
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Hmmmm, the speakers solution is actually inviting. I have access to all manner of electrical tidbits and doodads and I'm sure I saw a tiny speaker lying about at work that would fit the existing soundbox, if I can jimmy it open without massive aesthetic damage. Ordering an mp3 module would be short work and employing The Husband's carpentry skill comes for the high price of 0 euros and one plum pie.
Hey, this might actually work! I'll scavenge some supplies on Monday and see if I can make this into an mp3 player of some sort.

The gramophone saga will have to wait its proper turn until I can a) scavenge some parts to make the fixup a relatively non-stressful ordeal with only up to two minor aneurysms b) I save up for a proper vintage item. As I said, I have a soft spot for the sound.
I'll post some pictures once the project is done if anyone would be interested. Not promising a super-good project or anything, but maybe someone would get a good laugh

This of course provided The Husband lets go of his dream of converting it into a record player. He's already started measuring and sketching...I married MacGyver.
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 8:24 am   #38
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Interesting project hope it turns out the way you want.
Completely off subject and purely as a matter of interest, do you read CD in English or is it translated into Dutch?
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 8:30 am   #39
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"See Dee" or "Say Day" in your head as you read is the question, presumably?
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Old 15th Sep 2018, 8:37 am   #40
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Charles Dickens (CD)
Cheers
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