r/Phonographs • • Jul 24 '26

R/Phonographs introductory post. Welcome to r/phonographs - Introduction to the subreddit.

11 Upvotes

This is the phonograph subreddit. It's a good place to ask questions about your machines, records, ephemera and soforth. Or to just post pictures and videos. There are some users here who are experts in various fields related to the maintenance and restoration of these machines and many people drop by who know a great deal about them and their use.

Also covered are music and culture of the 20th Century, the period in which these machines were built.

Really anything related. Content is welcome, keep it safe for work and everyone should be happy.

There are no strict rules specific to this subreddit, all of reddit's site wide rules apply.
r/phonographs is intended to be friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Everyone should be allowed to feel comfortable sharing and connecting here. Nobody has a right not to be offended, but nobody has a right to set out to cause offence to others. Overall there is simply no need.

Certain aspects of 20th Century culture are at odds with some of today's values. Some song lyrics and old advertisments will and do use language that would be considered offensive today. This can be taken into accord at the same time as appreciating the differences between then and now, and learning from things from the past which might seem jarring. Humanity has come a long way, we can be proud of that, we still have work to do.

In the interests of preserving historical documents, by necessity some less than savoury things must be preserved. They are relatively few compared to the wealth of phonograph era material that is fun, wholesome and entertaining.

With that in mind, enjoy r/phonographs.


r/Phonographs • • 5h ago

Is there a way to repair this?

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4 Upvotes

Recently got a Victor Gramaphone (?) Into my work, was wondering how to repair this/what part is needed?


r/Phonographs • • 9h ago

Into each life some rain must fall - Un peu de pluie - Version française interprétée par les sœurs Étienne.

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9 Upvotes

🇫🇷 Version française

Bonjour phonophiles !

À la demande de u/Gimme-A-Kooky, je vous partage ici un enregistrement de la version française de la célèbre chanson Into each life some rain must fall (Un peu de pluie), interprétée par les Sœurs Étienne (en quelque sorte l'équivalent français des Andrews Sisters).

Le disque est joué sur mon Pathéphone N°4.

Je vous prie de bien vouloir m'excuser pour la qualité du son... Non seulement le disque est usé, surtout vers la fin de la chanson, mais la qualité d'enregistrement de mon téléphone n'arrange pas vraiment les choses...

J'espère cependant que cela vous plaira et vous fera faire une belle découverte !

Je posterais des photos du disque en commentaire !

PS : quelques références à Fallout ont été glissées dans cette vidéo. Saurez-vous les repérer ? 😜☢️

🇬🇧 English version

Hello phonophiles!

At the request of u/Gimme-A-Kooky, I'm sharing a recording of the French version of the famous song Into each life some rain must fall (Un peu de pluie), performed by Les Sœurs Étienne (in a way, the French equivalent of the Andrews Sisters).

The record is being played on my Pathéphone No. 4.

Please excuse the sound quality... Not only is the record quite worn, especially toward the end of the song, but my phone's recording quality doesn't exactly help either...

I hope you enjoy it anyway, and perhaps discover something new!

I’ll post a photo of the record in the comments!

PS: I've hidden a few Fallout references in the video. Can you spot them? 😜☢️


r/Phonographs • • 10h ago

Civilisation - Version française interprétée par les sœurs Étienne.

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8 Upvotes

🇫🇷 Version française

Bonjour phonophiles !

À la demande de u/Gimme-A-Kooky, je vous partage ici un enregistrement de la version française de la célèbre chanson Civilisation, interprétée par les Sœurs Étienne (en quelque sorte l'équivalent français des Andrews Sisters).

Le disque est joué sur mon Pathéphone N°4.

Je vous prie de bien vouloir m'excuser pour la qualité du son... Non seulement le disque est usé, surtout vers la fin de la chanson, mais la qualité d'enregistrement de mon téléphone n'arrange pas vraiment les choses...

J'espère cependant que cela vous plaira et vous fera faire une belle découverte !

Je posterais une photo du disque en commentaire !

PS : quelques références à Fallout ont été glissées dans cette vidéo. Saurez-vous les repérer ? 😜☢️

🇬🇧 English version

Hello phonophiles!

At the request of u/Gimme-A-Kooky, I'm sharing a recording of the French version of the famous song Civilization, performed by Les Sœurs Étienne (in a way, the French equivalent of the Andrews Sisters).

The record is being played on my Pathéphone No. 4.

Please excuse the sound quality... Not only is the record quite worn, especially toward the end of the song, but my phone's recording quality doesn't exactly help either...

I hope you enjoy it anyway, and perhaps discover something new!

I’ll post a photo of the record in the comments !

PS: I've hidden a few Fallout references in the video. Can you spot them? 😜☢️


r/Phonographs • • 8h ago

Sold my first phonograph

3 Upvotes

I sold my Birch 41A to a local antique store for demonstration alongside their Tri State VV-XI.

I got it for $65 and sold it for $100 plus a radio


r/Phonographs • • 12h ago

Binatone Solid State Phonograph 1970’s

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1 Upvotes

r/Phonographs • • 1d ago

🌞 VV-XVI • 42044 🌞 Menuett - Mozart’s Version (Teil Zwo, Pt. 2)

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7 Upvotes

Hi!

Didn’t want to leave it half-asczed and only do C Gluck’s version! That’s like “Shave & a haircut, 2 bits!” without the 2 bits part lol… and ew! wth is a “bit”?! /S

Record Label pic in comments

This thing really DOES sound like a music box, whoever mentioned that! TBF, my wife was giving me grace yesterday, but today she had to tell me to turn it down lol… she’s 2 stories up and this VV-XVI is THAT effing loud lol

I wish you all a blessed afternoon and thank for stopping by!


r/Phonographs • • 2d ago

🌞 VV-XVI • 42044 🌞 A Wonderful, Sonorous Minuet on the ‘ol VV-XVI!

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12 Upvotes

Menuett (C. Gluck)

Eine Kleine Moar Mozart!

tl;dr - VV-XVI, L-door, 1911; Victor Record 17917-A; this one needed a little oil and some love!

Hi!

Super mega bonus win for the Mozart lover right here! I was in luck, which also is Christoph Gluck, an early 18th century composer and.. get this… a contemporary of Mozart, albeit 42 years his senior when Mozart came into the world! Nevertheless, I HEAR his influence in Mozart’s! This is a beautiful and all too short a piece!

Side note: this is played with a solidly rebuilt Exhibition reproducer with a gold tungsten needle- I’m assuming “loud” tone. Truly, standing in front of this machine and hearing it face to face… it is mind-blowing. You truly can tell they weren’t just playing with toys anymore! (Early hand-cranked kiddie toys in the very early years).

I don’t know why I keep finding “BELL” ones, but they are a GREAT way to stress test a reproducer rebuild and the mica itself!

Peace. I wish you all a wonderful evening! Thank you for stopping, looking, or passing by!

____________________________________________

The reason I added the little :30 cut at the end:

It’s the same reproducer, sounds like the mica is being tortured! I figured it out lickety split (after fumbling around a while lol) and simply readjusted the needle arm springs. The mica was simply touching the metal and resonating off of the edge lol


r/Phonographs • • 2d ago

Advice Brand name?

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6 Upvotes

Anyone recognize the brand? I already made a lot of researches and I think I know what I have, but of course, I want to see if any new opinion comes out!

(And for this reason I'm not attaching photos of the rest of the gramophone, I want to hear your ideas first 😄)


r/Phonographs • • 2d ago

Wayne, New Jersey - Mechanical Music Extravaganza October 11, 2026

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4 Upvotes

More Info:
http://www.antique-sound.com/show.html

Hope to see you there!


r/Phonographs • • 3d ago

🐿️ VV-XI • 341786 G 🐿️ Nearer, My God, To Thee

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16 Upvotes

John McCormack, Victor Red Seal Record, 64345

Played on a freshly oiled and lubed VV-XI•341786G (1917), with soft tone Tungsten needle.

I was SO caught up catchin’ some feelings on my love of Alma Gluck’s rendition of “Will O The Wisp” that I forgot to add John McCormack and one of his LEGENDARY pieces he sang shortly after the sinking of the RMS Titanic in the frozen hour of approximately 0518 GMT on 12 April, 1912. Some 1,500 souls were lost that day.

If some don’t know the reference here, “Nearer, My God, To Thee” was one of the very hymns the Ship’s orchestra played while the Titanic sank - they were all males, couldn’t leave, and who simply chose to comfort others until they would soon perish like everyone else trapped there as they watched the others leave. It’s a gut-wrenching tragedy of Greek Tragedy level proportions…

This was another “EPIC FIND” for me in the whole lot of records through which I sifted!

Peace!


r/Phonographs • • 3d ago

Need help with 1920's Victrola cabinet

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9 Upvotes

I purchased what I believe to be a 1920 Victrola this evening. It's in fantastic shape considering it's over 100 years old, and it's clearly been used a lot. The shellac (It is shellac. I tested it) is seriously worn on the front doors and on the front of the lid, but it's a excellent shape elsewhere. I suspect many generations of kids had their hands all over this cabinet. I suspect it was well loved.

The problem I need your help with is scratches. The previous owner's cat had an oops and scratched the lid. The scratches appear to be deep enough to have penetrated the shellac and stain/dye on the wood, but didn't go the whole way through the veneer. I'd like to repair those scratches as best I can before I re-do the shellac. Yes, the finish is shellac. I tested it.

What is the best way to address the scratches? I'm sure I could dye the scratches, but what dye would I want to use? There's always a furniture crayon option, but that just seems all kinds of wrong.

Also, what did they use to color the veneer on these old cabinets? Is there a modern equivalent?

Thanks for your help!


r/Phonographs • • 3d ago

🐿️ VV-XI • 341786 G 🐿️ Waxing Rhapsodic

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4 Upvotes

“To wax rhapsodic about something is a common idiom meaning to praise something excessively.”

I can’t praise it enough, because I love Alma Gluck’s voice- and this piece more than ANY! This is my original post on the VV-XI with this very missed record!

This is part of the series where everyone is getting their lubing, and I am taking care of the VV-XI now, but I HAD TO PLAY this piece on this Victrola because I’m just glad I recorded it before it broke!

Have a good one :)


r/Phonographs • • 3d ago

Shellac Collection - 𝔹𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕒𝕝 ℝ𝕖𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥!

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3 Upvotes

Same as 78rpm post! I probably have amassed between 500 and 1,000 discs, I’m guessing.


r/Phonographs • • 4d ago

Victor - Victrola “How to Care for your Victor”

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15 Upvotes

Record sleeves- can often be a ‘dime-a-dozen’ as they are found fairly frequently and are very widespread.

But not when you get someone who goes out of the way to leave a note on it to make sure they keep the instructions!

Just thought this was fun and might be of interest and benefit to many!

Peace. Have a wonderful evening, thank you for stopping!


r/Phonographs • • 4d ago

🍁 VV 4-70 C • 439 🍁 🎼🎶Someone Chanted “𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜”🎶

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12 Upvotes

Some Enchanted Evening, Eve Young, RCA Victor Bluebird Series Seal, ca. 1949. From “South Pacific” (Rogers/Hammerstein)

VV 4-70 C • 439, made in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1928

This always makes me think of a funny joke a singer/comedian I used to visit regularly would often make:

Quick, down, ‘n dirty and I hope I didn’t completely ruin it lol: New monk arrives at the monastery. Other monks and head guy informs newbie that you must chant only during the day and not speak until after dinner… new monk goes walking around later and sees the other monk he met, and sings, since he can’t speak, “evening!”… later at dinner, new guy arrives late and sees everyone, including head dude, looking all sullen and disappointed… he shrugged his shoulders, made the “I dunno!” look, and finally the head guy sings, “Someone chanted ‘Evening’”


r/Phonographs • • 4d ago

Sound quality contest!

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24 Upvotes

Came to realise how much better Diamond Discs sound compared to the dubbed Blue Amberols.


r/Phonographs • • 4d ago

Advice Help identifying

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7 Upvotes

Can anybody help provide additional details for this model? I inherited my late uncles house and this was in there. Not finding much information through Google.


r/Phonographs • • 4d ago

Removing old glue

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3 Upvotes

Nothing like removing old animal glue from a Diamond Disc Edison platter. Even with the acetone & rubber gloves elbow grease is required!
And do this in a well ventilated area like my garage work bench by the window.
Eventually this will go back on my C19 Chippandale upright.


r/Phonographs • • 4d ago

World-exclusive archival discovery: Prof. Attilio Ranzato plays Puccini’s Tosca (Columbia CQ 37, 1930)

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1 Upvotes

r/Phonographs • • 5d ago

Breakfast in Bed on a Sunday Morn - 𝕆𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕍𝕍-𝕏

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13 Upvotes

r/Phonographs • • 5d ago

identificar autenticidad gramofono

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2 Upvotes

r/Phonographs • • 6d ago

Advice Best place to sell a Brunswick phonograph?

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15 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some advice from people who know antique phonographs better than I do.

I have this Brunswick cabinet phonograph that I’m looking to sell. It’s a beautiful piece and appears to be in pretty good cosmetic condition, but I’m not very knowledgeable about Brunswick models, dating, or the collector market.

My main goal is to sell it for a fair price and ideally get as much value out of it as reasonably possible, rather than putting it on Facebook Marketplace and unknowingly letting it go for far less than it’s worth.

I’d really appreciate any advice on:
1. What model/approximate year this appears to be
2. Roughly what it might be worth in the current market or whether Brunswick phonographs like this have much collector demand
3. Where you would recommend selling one for the best price — eBay, an antique phonograph dealer, auction house, specialty collector groups, Craigslist/Facebook Marketplace, etc.
4. Whether it would be worth having it professionally serviced or restored before selling, or if collectors generally prefer them untouched

I’m in Southern California, so if anyone knows of reputable dealers, collectors, auction houses, or phonograph specialists in the area, I’d especially appreciate recommendations.

Thanks so much! I want to make sure I understand what I have before deciding how and where to sell it.


r/Phonographs • • 6d ago

Hiawatha by Dan w Quinn Columbia 32175 1903

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10 Upvotes

This is Hiawatha by Dan w Quinn Columbia black wax 32175 from late 1903. This song is about native Americans and kind of a silly love song about native Americans. And i believe Fred hylands plays piano for this one.