Antique wind up gramophone, working, with selection of records and new needles

An excellent early to mid 1900s wind up gramophone, fully functional, with a selection of shellac records (’78s) and a packet of 100 brand new needles in a vintage needle tin.

This gramophone comes with a professionally restored Meltrope III soundbox, which is sounding clear and strong.

A bit about gramophones:

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.

The lever to the front right is a brake for the turntable for use when turning the record over or when the turntable is not in use. To the front left of the deck is a speed adjustment lever to play your record at the original 78 revolutions per minute, or should your foxtrot require some perfecting, you can slow the speed down, or speed it up as desired.

The polished case is in very good condition, as is the brown velvet pad to the deck. The mechanics are working well. The leather handle is, unusually for a gramophone of this vintage, still intact and in very good condition.

Overall this amazing machine is in excellent 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.

The brand of the gramophone is not visible but it most closely resembles Columbia gramophones that I’ve had.

This gramophone was most likely produced around the 1920s during the original swing jazz age, and it’s a fantastic 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:

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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 15cm.

An excellent early to mid 1900s wind up gramophone, fully functional, with a selection of shellac records (’78s) and a packet of 100 brand new needles in a vintage needle tin.

This gramophone comes with a professionally restored Meltrope III soundbox, which is sounding clear and strong.

A bit about gramophones:

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.

The lever to the front right is a brake for the turntable for use when turning the record over or when the turntable is not in use. To the front left of the deck is a speed adjustment lever to play your record at the original 78 revolutions per minute, or should your foxtrot require some perfecting, you can slow the speed down, or speed it up as desired.

The polished case is in very good condition, as is the brown velvet pad to the deck. The mechanics are working well. The leather handle is, unusually for a gramophone of this vintage, still intact and in very good condition.

Overall this amazing machine is in excellent 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.

The brand of the gramophone is not visible but it most closely resembles Columbia gramophones that I’ve had.

This gramophone was most likely produced around the 1920s during the original swing jazz age, and it’s a fantastic 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:

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

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 15cm.