HMV Machines
Q&A about Talking Machines from the pre-electronic era (approx. 1885-1928).
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phononut
Topic author
I recently ran a local ad for "Victrola wanted" and my last e-mail is from someone with a HMV Model 511. I admit I no very little about HMV machines so I did a search for this model on the internet and could find nothing. I wrote back and said I probably would not be interested but she sent me some pictures of it and asked me what she could expect to get for the machine. I must admit that it is a very pretty machine! I still cannot find any information for this thing and was wondering if anyone out there could give me any ideas?
The 511 was a conversion of its predecessor, the 510, which was the floor standing version of the Lumiere diaphragm gramophone (there is one pictured in Fabrizio and Paul's last book).
The 511 put an internal horn where the record cupboard had been behind the pair of doors and utilised the narrow bore tone-arm with the No. 4 soundbox. In Britain and Europe the range that existed which incorporated the 511 was a somewhat belated attempt to reclaim the high ground following the intro' of electrical recording in 1925. Earlier machines could not cope with the wider frequency responses of the new records and the Exhibition soundbox had severe limitations when coupled to a small cast iron internal horn. In the US, Victor had already intro'd the Orthophonic models which were superior to the HMV range (which was a stop-gap range after all) because HMV refused to pay royalties to Western Electric for the use of the patented "re-entrant" horn design. HMV would relent less than a year later and produce their own "Orthophonic" range which included the largest internal horns of any maker anywhere in the world (Models 202/203).
The 511 et al had a new folded horn (to increase length) made from zinc.
I currently have a 511 for sale and it is probably one of the nicest you'll ever find. I guess though that you are in the US and postage would be cost-prohibitive for you anyway?! If anyone else is interested to buy it please contact Howard Hope at http://www.gramophones.uk.com after 13th February or email me NOW on sjmgram@aol.com for details and pictures.
The 511 is a beautiful machine and I can tell you that I've auditioned it alongside other HMV contemporaries including the big 192 model and I prefer it to that model.
HTH
Steve
The 511 put an internal horn where the record cupboard had been behind the pair of doors and utilised the narrow bore tone-arm with the No. 4 soundbox. In Britain and Europe the range that existed which incorporated the 511 was a somewhat belated attempt to reclaim the high ground following the intro' of electrical recording in 1925. Earlier machines could not cope with the wider frequency responses of the new records and the Exhibition soundbox had severe limitations when coupled to a small cast iron internal horn. In the US, Victor had already intro'd the Orthophonic models which were superior to the HMV range (which was a stop-gap range after all) because HMV refused to pay royalties to Western Electric for the use of the patented "re-entrant" horn design. HMV would relent less than a year later and produce their own "Orthophonic" range which included the largest internal horns of any maker anywhere in the world (Models 202/203).
The 511 et al had a new folded horn (to increase length) made from zinc.
I currently have a 511 for sale and it is probably one of the nicest you'll ever find. I guess though that you are in the US and postage would be cost-prohibitive for you anyway?! If anyone else is interested to buy it please contact Howard Hope at http://www.gramophones.uk.com after 13th February or email me NOW on sjmgram@aol.com for details and pictures.
The 511 is a beautiful machine and I can tell you that I've auditioned it alongside other HMV contemporaries including the big 192 model and I prefer it to that model.
HTH
Steve
I used to be looking for things but now I've found them I don't look at them!
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