1920s Decca Salon wind up gramophone model 100, with selection of records and new needles

An excellent Decca Salon gramophone model 100, fully functional, with a selection of shellac records (’78s) and a packet of 100 brand new needles in a vintage HMV needle tin.

The amazingly impressive fact about these gramophones is that they work entirely without a power source besides the manual wind up lever which is unclipped from inside the case, screwed into the socket and wound to power the spinning turntable.

The sound is transmitted acoustically via the needle, through the ‘soundbox’, angled, as it should be at around 60°, which is connected to the tone arm through to the bell where the sound is amplified within the body of the box and deflected out by the angled lid.

There is a speed selector to the front left which means you can adjust the speed to suit the individual gramophone record to a few degrees slower or faster than 78 rpm.

In case you are unfamiliar with 78s, these types of record preceded vinyl. They are usually made of shellac and are much stiffer and more brittle than vinyl records. They are smaller too, and run at around 78rpm as opposed to 33 or 45 with vinyl.

Vinyl records will not play on this machine or any gramophone. Although their function is based on a broadly similar concept, they are not cross compatible, and amongst other reasons, the needles on a gramophone will destroy vinyl.

The needles are made of soft steel and can be purchased cheaply online in bulk (they should ideally be changed every side of a record due to degrading sound quality). They are quickly and easily changed with a simple thumbscrew. Several needles are included in the pot with the sliding lid built in to the front right of the deck. I have left some medium needles in the pot for comparison, but the new packet of needles are soft tone as the professionally restored soundbox is loud. The soft needles mean it isn’t piercingly loud!

The lever to the back left is a brake for the turntable for use when turning the record over or when the turntable is not in use. However, this particular model has the really handy but less common feature that is the auto stop. At the end of a side, rather than the record continuing to spin until the needle has completely worn down and the motor wound down, this feature saves unnecessary extra winding up, and unnecessary wear to the record.

To start a record using autostop, push on the round tip lever and simultaneously push to the right slightly the autostop lever to its right. Alternatively you can use the manual brake to the back left, but the record will continue spinning once it’s reached the end.

The polished case is mostly in good condition though in places the rexine shows wear and there are marks here and there. The brown velvet pad to the deck is in very good condition and the mechanics are working well. The handle is, unusually for a gramophone of this vintage, still intact and in very good condition.

Overall this amazing machine is in very good condition considering its near century of age… And the records play! It’s ideal for swinging dance parties! (Volume is dependent on the hardness of the needle used and they can be purchased in three different hardnesses.) The packet I have included are medium tone, which is the standard.

This Decca Gramophone, made in London most likely in the 1920s during the original swing jazz age is a very fine, rare and working early acoustic music player, with beautiful aesthetics worthy of display. It is also a wonderful period piece to wow your friends and family at parties and get togethers.

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See a demonstration of this player on YouTube:

Eagle-eyed viewers will notice winding the gramophone during the demonstration; this is not necessary mid-side, it just wasn’t fully wound before I began playing the record.

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Five gramophone records will be included to get your collection started and have something to play on it when it arrives. A packet of 100 brand new needles will also be included.

Case measures 39cm deep X 29.5cm wide X 17.5cm.

An excellent Decca Salon gramophone model 100, fully functional, with a selection of shellac records (’78s) and a packet of 100 brand new needles in a vintage HMV needle tin.

The amazingly impressive fact about these gramophones is that they work entirely without a power source besides the manual wind up lever which is unclipped from inside the case, screwed into the socket and wound to power the spinning turntable.

The sound is transmitted acoustically via the needle, through the ‘soundbox’, angled, as it should be at around 60°, which is connected to the tone arm through to the bell where the sound is amplified within the body of the box and deflected out by the angled lid.

There is a speed selector to the front left which means you can adjust the speed to suit the individual gramophone record to a few degrees slower or faster than 78 rpm.

In case you are unfamiliar with 78s, these types of record preceded vinyl. They are usually made of shellac and are much stiffer and more brittle than vinyl records. They are smaller too, and run at around 78rpm as opposed to 33 or 45 with vinyl.

Vinyl records will not play on this machine or any gramophone. Although their function is based on a broadly similar concept, they are not cross compatible, and amongst other reasons, the needles on a gramophone will destroy vinyl.

The needles are made of soft steel and can be purchased cheaply online in bulk (they should ideally be changed every side of a record due to degrading sound quality). They are quickly and easily changed with a simple thumbscrew. Several needles are included in the pot with the sliding lid built in to the front right of the deck. I have left some medium needles in the pot for comparison, but the new packet of needles are soft tone as the professionally restored soundbox is loud. The soft needles mean it isn’t piercingly loud!

The lever to the back left is a brake for the turntable for use when turning the record over or when the turntable is not in use. However, this particular model has the really handy but less common feature that is the auto stop. At the end of a side, rather than the record continuing to spin until the needle has completely worn down and the motor wound down, this feature saves unnecessary extra winding up, and unnecessary wear to the record.

To start a record using autostop, push on the round tip lever and simultaneously push to the right slightly the autostop lever to its right. Alternatively you can use the manual brake to the back left, but the record will continue spinning once it’s reached the end.

The polished case is mostly in good condition though in places the rexine shows wear and there are marks here and there. The brown velvet pad to the deck is in very good condition and the mechanics are working well. The handle is, unusually for a gramophone of this vintage, still intact and in very good condition.

Overall this amazing machine is in very good condition considering its near century of age… And the records play! It’s ideal for swinging dance parties! (Volume is dependent on the hardness of the needle used and they can be purchased in three different hardnesses.) The packet I have included are medium tone, which is the standard.

This Decca Gramophone, made in London most likely in the 1920s during the original swing jazz age is a very fine, rare and working early acoustic music player, with beautiful aesthetics worthy of display. It is also a wonderful period piece to wow your friends and family at parties and get togethers.

•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•

See a demonstration of this player on YouTube:

Eagle-eyed viewers will notice winding the gramophone during the demonstration; this is not necessary mid-side, it just wasn’t fully wound before I began playing the record.

•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•|°|•

Five gramophone records will be included to get your collection started and have something to play on it when it arrives. A packet of 100 brand new needles will also be included.

Case measures 39cm deep X 29.5cm wide X 17.5cm.