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

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Old 4th Aug 2018, 11:06 pm   #1
Arthur2075
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Default Astoria Gramophone

Has anyone ever come across an Astoria gramaphone? I have seen one and am considering buying it as it seems very cheap! It is a large free standing player and has a tone arm similar to the Columbia 119 and 117 table top models.

The only issue is that the winding handle has been lost and it has a very home made handle, but I am-assured is works fine.

If any one has one or knows anything of them I would be very interested.

Thanks
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Old 4th Aug 2018, 11:19 pm   #2
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Default Re: Astoria Gramaphone

Something like this? Interestingly pictured with the needle ploughing up the shellac! Looks like a standard handle - of course they weren't all interchangeable but there were only so many motor manufacturers....and that's where it screwed in.
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Old 4th Aug 2018, 11:52 pm   #3
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Default Re: Astoria Gramaphone

It’s a tall floor standing gramaphone with record storage space. Will try and get a picture.

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Old 6th Aug 2018, 12:25 am   #4
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Well I bought it. Picking it up this week. Just seen a very similar machine but called an ‘Albion’. Wondered if they are like the catalogue record players of the sixties. Will post some pictures when I get it home
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Old 6th Aug 2018, 12:32 am   #5
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Also known as 'console' gramophones - open or close the doors for volume control. I have a Melodia version which I wind up every once in a while. I love the idea of these being the 'hi-fi' of their day!
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Old 6th Aug 2018, 12:37 am   #6
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

I've seen it. Looks alright for the price. The handle could be the original one with just the end broken off and a bit of metal welded on in its place. Not a collectible model or particularly nice cabinet, but I always think record storage is a bonus with something like that that's going to take up floor space - good for parts perhaps for the other one if the arm's the right length if you break it.
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Old 6th Aug 2018, 12:44 am   #7
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

As it’s not particularly collectible, I intend to restore to as near as ‘sort of new’ as possible. If it looks nice it stands a better chance of being accepted! Really looking foward to playing some Beethoven and G and S!,,,,

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Old 6th Aug 2018, 12:56 am   #8
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

At least you won't have that dreadful tracking problem that you had with the other one (so long as it hasn't had an arm transplant) although some have bad tracking error from manufacture due to being put together by basically furniture makers with little technical know-how. Decent makes such as HMV etc. will at least have been assembled by reasonably competent people (one would hope), whereas a furniture store model such as that cabinet one you've just bought could be a bit of a lottery - but still a bargain and a very good buy, and may well sound quite good if the sound box is up to scratch. Don't play any valuable or 1950s 78s on one of those machines though.
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Old 6th Aug 2018, 11:47 pm   #9
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Collecting it Saturday from deepest Sussex. Will post some pictures. It appears to come with two sound boxes. I dislike the brown turntable feit, could this be changed for new felt, or is it a special type? I assume it’s glued on to the platter.
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Old 7th Aug 2018, 9:34 am   #10
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Be wary of replacing the material on the turntable, be it felt or velvet. The modern equivalents of both these have a distinct "pile" to them, resulting in an unpleasant "light/dark" effect as the turntable revolves. If the original material has to be replaced, then it can be removed by laying a sheet of paper over it, then applying a hot domestic iron, which will melt the old animal glue.
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Old 7th Aug 2018, 1:08 pm   #11
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Is 'Astoria' a Littlewoods brand?
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Old 7th Aug 2018, 1:57 pm   #12
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

I think it is a Littlewoods brand.

I don't think that the turntable covering is brown, I think it's a very dirty blue, or even green colour, which you 'may' be able to clean a bit, so long as not too much rust has worked its way through it from the metal below.

Someone has replaced the knobs on the record compartment doors and drilled all the way through with bolts going through from behind, but it looks like they do the job and don't look too bad. Certainly good having that spare sound box with it, and the arm looks to be the correct length as far as I could tell from the pictures.

It looks like it'll be OK, it's just that they take up so much room - like a radiogram!
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Old 7th Aug 2018, 3:29 pm   #13
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Back in the day, I gather that swapping soundboxes around was the nearest that enthusiastic gramophone owners got to today's audio hobbyist practices. With also an impressively wide range of needles, loud, soft, fibre, thorn etc etc, there was much fun to be had in trying to improve a basically unsatisfactory, but cheerful, reproducer.

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Old 7th Aug 2018, 9:14 pm   #14
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Yes it did state in the auction that it was Littlewoods. I think the Albion is similar

You are right they do take up space but it’s vertical space which is not too bad, rather than horizontal!
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Old 7th Aug 2018, 9:43 pm   #15
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hartley118 View Post
Back in the day, I gather that swapping soundboxes around was the nearest that enthusiastic gramophone owners got to today's audio hobbyist practices. With also an impressively wide range of needles, loud, soft, fibre, thorn etc etc, there was much fun to be had in trying to improve a basically unsatisfactory, but cheerful, reproducer.
Yes I can see that, but I have decided that soft needles seem to be the best in relation to record weae. In the past I have tried fibre needles but with little success. I do get concerned when demand drops to the point that there are no more needles! Although the odd thing is, I found a replacement 90 odd year old tone arm in 45 minutes of searching, and I can change myself, but can’t find a head phone jack for an iPod! If I can it’s touch and go if even an ‘expert’ will even consider it!
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Old 7th Aug 2018, 10:39 pm   #16
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Quote:
Originally Posted by Techman View Post
I think it is a Littlewoods brand.
Yes, just checked the listing and it clearly states “Littlewoods, Portobello Road.
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Old 8th Aug 2018, 2:40 pm   #17
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arthur2075 View Post
I dislike the brown turntable feit, could this be changed for new felt, or is it a special type? I assume it’s glued on to the platter.
Why bother? Just lay another piece in the colour of your choice on top. Or leave a record on it!
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Old 8th Aug 2018, 3:52 pm   #18
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

I don't think it is brown if you'd seen the pictures, although it could be a trick of the light.

You see a lot with a circle of green felt just stuck on top of the platter when the original felt has gone, and in every case I think they look dreadful, although faced with the same situation I'd probably do the same myself. Better to try to save the original covering if possible. The platter has a decorative rim around the edge and I think the original felt is fixed under this rim, so you'd have to deal with this if fitting replacement felt.

I've just had to break off from typing this post to answer the phone and by coincidence the call was cabinet gramophone related. A radio pal of mine had just come back from a local car boot sale with a HMV model 145 in working order other than the winding handle being missing. He managed to wind the motor enough to prove the spring was OK and has played part of a record on it. He says it's not in very good condition, but only paid £15 for it, so they do come up cheap. The first thing I said was where are you going to find the space for that one? He's not sure! He's just offered me an early table model (the type without a lid, but with internal horn) with a mangled sound box diaphragm, no winding handle and all the bobs and springs missing from the governor, although the main spring is good, make unknown, to try to tempt me to fix a small valve tape recorder for him that he bought at the same sale for £3.....If I'm honest, I can do without both the gramophone and the repair job at this moment in time, but I said I'd think about it sometime when I'm less busy - we'll see!

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Old 8th Aug 2018, 6:49 pm   #19
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

I wondered about the felt. I think it may be best to work with what’s there, as it’s nice to preserve as much of the original as possible.

It’s true what does turn up. A friend of ours regularly buys job lots of anything!
Asked her to look for any thing gramophone or 78! Now I wonder what may turn up! In the past I have seen boxes of 78 records at our tip, and as an avid Beethoven lover I would love to find a few sides with some bits of symphonies on them. They are on eBay almost as it you can find almost anything.

The point is, it’s like a bucket of dung from a rocking horse, it may be rare but who wants it!
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Old 11th Aug 2018, 10:10 pm   #20
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Default Re: Astoria Gramophone

Bought it home today. Cabinet looks quite good, the lid is the only part that need some restoration having suffered what you would expect after 80 odd years.

The motor is noisy, but nothing has ever been done to it, so I need to remove it and lubricate it. There is a bump when winding. It’s lost it’s original winding handle, I’ll look around for one once I have the motor running ok. I have read that sewing machine oil and motor grease being the oils to use, any suggestions?

There does not appear to have access to the motor from the back, but there are four screws holding the motor board and turntable which are accessible from the top, the tone are board is secured with two identical screws. No obvious way of removing the turntable, the beize just needs brushing.

The stop/start switch does not look original, may be wrong. Picture attached of soundbox and other parts. On winding it just manges to play one side of a 10’ record.

But at the end of the day it cost me £20, that can’t be bad can it!
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