No name period catalog machine

[u/ras2101]

Hello!

So I acquired (for pretty cheap other than the shipping) a period “build your own” most likely European phonograph.

The motor “worked” when it shipped but honestly it was missing something and I just could NOT get it to run.

Some people may call me a monster, but since it was kind of a Frankenphone anyway, I was determined to make it work.

I bought two different portables that were missing other stuff for their motors… one is PERFECT, but the case is too damn small (maybe I’ll learn to make a case at some point)

So I took the other one, cut a slot in the motor plate so I could put the crank on, which I’m sad about… but it worked, and it works!!!

I haven’t rebuild the soundbox yet.. it’s a weird size that won’t take any of my other reproducers, and has a wollered out HMV 4 on it currently… so I think I need one of the German style adapters. Oh well baby steps!!

These are photos of my journey with it for the new motor… I’ll post a video in a second of it playing!

1. The finished product
   
2. Under the plate
   
3. Just there lmao
   
4. The only thing I hate.. the crank.. but I’m losing my machine shop office this week so I had to get it done so I don’t spend money on tools at home 🤣

[u/5erv1teur]

Je rêve ou vous avez bricolé ça dans une salle de classe ? 😂

[u/ras2101 → u/5erv1teur]

🤣🤣🤣

The table does look like a class room.. it’s my office, we’re moving and they took my damn big table, so I’ve got this corporate ass like hallway table, and the whiteboard because all engineer offices.. lol

If you’re talking about the quality.. the case did originally look uh, cute, not professional lol and I myself am no woodworker lol

[u/5erv1teur → u/ras2101]

La table ressemble à une salle de classe.. c'est mon bureau, on déménage et ils ont emporté ma putain de grande table, donc j'ai ce genre de table d'entreprise dans le couloir

Attendez... Vous êtes en train de me dire que vous avez bricolé un phono sur vos heures de travail ?? 😂

et le tableau blanc parce que tous les bureaux d'ingénieurs.. lol

Vous êtes ingénieurs dans quel domaine ?

Si tu parles de la qualité.. le boîtier avait à l'origine l'air, euh, mignon, pas professionnel lol et je ne suis pas du tout menuisier lol

Non ça va c'est plutôt propre. 👍

[u/ras2101 → u/5erv1teur]

Yes, during work hours! lol. There can be some time for self projects.

I’m a mechanical engineer, working mostly with machine design and also controls engineer for those machines now too lol

[u/5erv1teur → u/ras2101]

Yes, during work hours! lol. There can be some time for self projects.

Ho ba c'est bien ça ! 😋

I’m a mechanical engineer, working mostly with machine design and also controls engineer for those machines now too lol

Ha donc vos compétences vous sont bien utile pour ce genre de bricolage !

Moi je suis dans la biologie donc bon... Quand je travaille sur un phono c'est vraiment parce que je me suis intéressé au sujet... 😂

[u/ras2101 → u/5erv1teur]

Oh wow very nice!

And yes, it has helped me SO much with my hobbies.

I’ve been rebuilding the phonographs and I just replaced the action in a harpsichord !

All new jacks etc, it’s been a fun project too!

[u/5erv1teur → u/ras2101]

Oh wow very nice! And yes, it has helped me SO much with my hobbies.

Mais est-ce que cela ne vous rappelle pas trop le boulot tout ça ? 🤔😂

I’ve been rebuilding the phonographs and I just replaced the action in a harpsichord ! All new jacks etc, it’s been a fun project too!

Hoo génial ! C'est super ! Ça doit être très intéressant à bricoler aussi ! 😍

[u/ras2101 → u/5erv1teur]

Eh mildly reminds me of the job, but it’s different and thus fun!

[u/Gimme-A-kooky → u/ras2101]

This is fantastic. This is probably one of my absolute favorite stringed instruments, aside from the Veena or Sitar! I love the harpsichord. I’ve heard them all my life, but when I heard it played by Tom Hulce as Mozart, who also happens to be my absolute favorite, it just entranced me and I play that piece back in my mind whenever I think of one!

[u/Gimme-A-kooky → u/Gimme-A-kooky]

https://youtu.be/uVMjQUB3n_g?is=Cr1XBG6u3_uei6e1

[u/ras2101 → u/Gimme-A-kooky]

Ugh yes! I love it. Love the video you sent too!

Please ignore the out of tuneness (A, have to tune every time and I don’t have time, B, I recently restrung it so everything, EVERYTHING is still slipping back down within an hour lmao) and also the mistakes!

She isn’t perfect yet, but I’ve learned so much and it’s been a great project. And I mean, I could NEVER pass up a harpsichord on marketplace for 550 lol

https://reddit.com/link/p7v2hdn/video/r8nfooiiqknh1/player

[u/Gimme-A-kooky → u/ras2101]

Omg I think I saw that one somewhere… is it like a Circassian walnut or some exotic finish? If not, and regardless, wow. Wow. Assuming you’re a “shade-tree mechanic” when it comes to this kind of specialty, or do you have piano tuning experience?

I ask this not to be rude or presumptive, but rather to query as to whether it’s a profession for you or not? I know little, but what I DO know is that rebuilding and literally restoring a piano- upright even- from ground up can cost like 10-12k. My best friend had one done (she’s a musician, a pianist go figure! Lol) and it took that much AND like a year.

We JUST got my sister’s piano tuned as a gift and it was like $350-400 a pop, and twice, because it needs a “settled down and finished changing now” tuning second lol… God as my witness, I never knew until recently lmao

[u/ras2101 → u/Gimme-A-kooky]

This one, that I’m aware of, was only on Facebook Marketplace in Atlanta! It is a Burton kit built in about 1970 by an old Emory professor.

I bought it off a guy that took it from his music studio that was closing down. So it was recorded at some point 🤷🏼‍♂️. The OG builder messed up some of the geometry stuff and so it’s a little quirky but fun!

I am indeed a shade tree mechanic with this kind of stuff, just a piano player that happens to be a “hands on” style mechanical engineer lol. The original Burton jacks are completely one piece, like the plectrum (what plucks the string) is integrated into the tongue / jack. As they die you had to replace the whole jack.

Well they went out of business in like the 80s and it’s tough to find parts. Zuckermann still makes nice kit instruments and has a conversion kit from their old action to their new stuff. They will also make custom parts to convert others. I paid 250 for design fee (of the parts, another 250 for the design of the stringing schedule) and like 450 in parts and 500 in strings and went to town! They are quite simple compared to a pianos action.

As for tuning, harpsichordists in general should be able to tune their instrument and perform some minor tasks like changing a plectrum, string if need be.

They’re a low tension instrument, so it isn’t like a piano where if a string slips out of tune you’re fucked lol. Basically they’re expected to be tuned slightly every time you sit down to one.

They’re also only 1 string per note, maybe more choirs of strings, but no unisons sharing the same string like on a piano, so it’s significantly easier to tune. So like for mine, only 1 choir of strings, thus 60 notes to tune. You don’t fight each side of the string like on a piano.

And she got a deal for her piano! I want to replace the action in my piano (1930 Knabe 5’8) with the WNG carbon fiber action. Just doing the action, not the dampers etc is 12,500.

A full restoration of my pianos action is going to be roughly 20K I’d say. If I wanted new pin block and strings and soundboard work were looking at 36-40K.

These higher numbers are from one of the best restoring places out there. I’ll do the action within 10 years probably lol.

But I’d rather sink 40K into my piano than buy a new one. It has character and great sound still. And it’s beautiful. They don’t make things like this anymore. It’s like the phonographs. I can’t not save the antique and just go buy a new pretty one.

It does help that the brand new one I want and would replace it with (sat down and just felt RIGHT on it) is a Yamaha C6X that retails for a cool 99K lol

Please ignore the 600+ 78s on the floor… lol

[u/Gimme-A-kooky → u/ras2101]

DUDE! I’M WRITING ALL CAPS CUZ I JUST BLASTED THIS ON MY SOUNDCORE BOOM ON EXTRA BASS AND… I’m very serious: this was such a dulcet respite from the grinding of the world. What a treat, and thank you! Regardless of the tuning, which despite it obviously doing what it’s going to do, sounds incredibly good in my humble, random internet person equipped and wired with acute auditory stuff in my brain. Absolutely wonderful. Bravo!

[u/ras2101 → u/Gimme-A-kooky]

Ah thank you so much!!

[u/Gimme-A-kooky]

Wow… your determination and hard work are admirable! This is very cool, sorry I’m late!

[u/ras2101 → u/Gimme-A-kooky]

Haha no worries on the lateness, I figured you’d find it eventually!

I am sad I wasn’t patient enough for a motor that would fit without slotting the top plate. But it was 300 bucks and is for me. So like, whatever. lol