Is this gramophone playing good?

I want to buy this HMV 102 gramophone, but I am a little bit disappointed of its sound. I posted two youtube links with the gramophone while playing two different records. Pay attention especially to the second video. The song is distorted or slowed down in few places. Is a faulty record, does the gramophone need to be cleaned and greased or it's just me who is paranoid and the sound is fine? What do you think, guys? Please help me. Thanks.

Here are the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn6uZ5-WUuI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nas-fyVLv0

If the turntable platter is wobbly, how can I fix that?

I don't know if it's just the way it looks on the video, but in the second video, the angle of the needle seems to be perpendicular to the record's surface, or straight up and down. That can create a lot of drag and slow down the record.

It should be at an angle, slightly forward as in this photo:



In the first video, the sound box or "reproducer" seems to be correctly positioned.

I wanted to add that the record, itself, in the second video seems slightly warped. The turntable seems to be turning relatively "true," for a vintage gramophone--based on what I've seen over the years.

BTW, I should also point out that a steel needle will wear quickly, and it's best to play no more than one or two sides with the same needle. Since a chisel point is created as part of the wear process, never remove a used needle and then reinsert it to play another record, because that will very quickly destroy the groove.

HTH,
Joe

Joe, by "true" you mean correct? The turntable rotation seems to be good to you?

johnanthony888 wrote:Joe, by "true" you mean correct? The turntable rotation seems to be good to you?

There seems to be a tiny bit of up and down wobble, but that's relatively normal for something this old, and it should not impact it's ability to play the record. (Again, the record itself seems warped in the second video.)

There are actually a number of factors that impact how well a record will play. As "DoghouseRiley" pointed out, most of these gramophones will benefit from a cleaning and re-greasing. (Make sure the seller confirms that this has been done.)

Joe

I don't have any idea how that turntable might be fixed. What should I clean and grease? And presuming that the turntable is slightly wobbly, this should influence the sound in a bad way?

johnanthony888 wrote:I don't have any idea how that turntable might be fixed. What should I clean and grease? And presuming that the turntable is slightly wobbly, this should influence the sound in a bad way?

RE -- What should I clean and grease?

If it hasn't been done recently--say within the past five or ten years or so-- the gramophone's motor could probably use a cleaning and fresh grease, and oil. There are numerous resources available online as well as in book form that provide servicing tips and show you how to disassemble a gramophone motor. If you have good mechanical skills, you could probably do the job yourself. One of the best gramophone repair guide books is the Compleat Talking Machine by Eric Reiss, which can be ordered from most well-stocked book sellers, including Amazon. There are also a number of shops that specialize in the servicing and repair of gramophones.

RE -- And presuming that the turntable is slightly wobbly, this should influence the sound in a bad way?

A slight wobble in the turntable would probably not impact sound quality to any audible extent, or even slow down the record. I've owned about 30 different wind up gramophones over the years--mostly portable machines--and in all cases there was a slight wobble when the turntable spun. All of them played just fine, once the motors were cleaned and re-lubrcated, and the sound boxes were restored with fresh diaphragm gaskets, etc.

Since the gramophone you are considering to purchase seems to play the record okay in the first video, in which the reproducer is correctly positioned, I would guess that, in the second video, it's the position of the reproducer--with the needle straight up and down--coupled with the fact that the record seems more warped, that is slowing it down, or impacting it's speed.

Joe

Thanks, Joe. Two more questions. Can I find somewhere online the book of E. Reiss to download for free? And how can I find out when was produced my HMV 102? I must mention that it has the 5A soundbox. If it helps, it has the following quote number: 102103792. Any idea? Thanks.

Sorry, but I need to "carp" at you, and others---as your post has "my dander up"---
Please PURCHASE the book--what makes people feel "entitled" to an author's work for free ??
I have authored, or, co/authored, several "speciality books", and believe me--it's a labor of love, with little or no cash reward !
He will be lucky to recover out of pocket costs---
Ron Rich

The first edition of The Compleat Talking Machine came out about 20 years ago, and has run through several editions. It's still in publication and not in "public domain." It's not an old handbook, in other words.

All this means that you have to pay for a copy. (As Ron notes, the author worked hard on this, and deserves his share. As a full time, freelance writer, I can emphasize with this, especially since I collect NO royalties from any of my re-published magazine articles.)

As for the production date of the HMV 102, I'm afraid I'm no help there. These were produced from 1932 until about 1959, with minor changes to the design over the decades. The #5a sound box would date it from the later 1930s, onward. You might try your question about this on http://gramophonecollecting.myfastforum.org/

Joe

If you remove the turntable, and your 102 was made in 1936 or later, you should find a small rectangular white/cream plastic tag on the motor board that has a serial number & a date code. The date code will be "B/?"
The B is for 1936, and the number below it signifies the year of manufacture. For example, B/1 means it was manufactured in 1937, & B/14 would mean it's from 1950. This of course is provided the tag hasn't been removed at some stage.
I have never personally seen a 1936 tag, so I'm not sure if they just use "B" or "B/0" for the date code.

After I remove the motor for cleaning/regreasing, is necessary to calibrate the turntable rotation? And if yes, why? Someone can enlight me? Thanks.

johnanthony888 wrote:After I remove the motor for cleaning/regreasing, is necessary to calibrate the turntable rotation? And if yes, why? Someone can enlight me? Thanks.

I'm not sure what you mean by "calibrate the turntable rotation." It should rotate correctly, once reassembled; providing the spindle is not bent, and all of the parts have been repositioned correctly. If the spindle is slightly bent, you would either have to replace it or take it to a machine shop to make it "true."

I used to own an HMV 102, and the turntable was slightly warped. (The spindle was fine.) I was able to flatten it by simply laying it flat surface down on a tile floor--my bathroom's. I positioned three small blocks of wood on that were tall enough to clear the center portion. I then set a flat board on top of those, and stood on it for about a minute. It's low tech, but it did flatten the turntable somewhat.

By the way, if you plan to disassemble the motor, it pays to take some good quality close-up photographs beforehand, so you'll know where everything goes.

HTH,
JDS

I was talking about the turntable speed. So, the 78 rpm will remain 78 after the cleaning/regreasing? Because some guys wrote about using a strobe paper disc used for setting theturntable speed. So, when should I use it, in which case? Thanks.