Yup, my first radiogram since leaving home back in 1962.
A very nice squarish affair (HMV - MW, SW1, SW2) originally supplied by Polliacks with louvred doors, a gunmetal-coloured sprung Garrard changer with bakelite 'snake' arm (the deck pulls out on guides similar to desk drawers) and brown bakelite control knobs - all very plain and tasteful and as heavy as hell.
A large Celestion speaker and an all Marconi valve complement of one of each U149, DH149, N148, W148, and an X148.
There are no chips anywhere on the cabinet - just faded and dull with one very small watermark on the surface.
I cleaned and vacuumed the dust and cleaned all the valve pins and their sockets which were severely oxidised and as I type, it's plugged in through a 100W lightbulb which is very dim
so I guess more work such as pot cleaning etc will be required in due course.
All valves are aglow except one - the DH149 which I'm not sure of as I cannot see any glow. All the other valves are warmish but cannot detect any heat on this one.
There are two little gold-coloured stickers neatly applied on the turntable tray which are minor works of art:
"Set assembled and cabinet made in the Union of South Africa to the specification and direction of the Gramophone Co. Ltd, England".
Owners of the Trademark "Dog" picture and "His Master's Voice".
And then the other sticker: " Supplied by H. Polliack & Co Ltd, Incorporating MacKay Bros Ltd and MacKay Bros & McMahon Ltd.
Quaint, hey
The solid oak 'footwear' is very sturdy and splayed - not those spindly, splayed round affairs fitted to some of these cabinets.
Ironically, this old thing arrived at a time when I have been clearing out unwanted stuff for almost the entire 2012 and still busy doing so almost two months into 2013.
The long suffering missus seems quite taken with this acquisition and suggested to paint it white but that'll be the day :nono:
mafioso
A very nice squarish affair (HMV - MW, SW1, SW2) originally supplied by Polliacks with louvred doors, a gunmetal-coloured sprung Garrard changer with bakelite 'snake' arm (the deck pulls out on guides similar to desk drawers) and brown bakelite control knobs - all very plain and tasteful and as heavy as hell.
A large Celestion speaker and an all Marconi valve complement of one of each U149, DH149, N148, W148, and an X148.
There are no chips anywhere on the cabinet - just faded and dull with one very small watermark on the surface.
I cleaned and vacuumed the dust and cleaned all the valve pins and their sockets which were severely oxidised and as I type, it's plugged in through a 100W lightbulb which is very dim
so I guess more work such as pot cleaning etc will be required in due course.All valves are aglow except one - the DH149 which I'm not sure of as I cannot see any glow. All the other valves are warmish but cannot detect any heat on this one.
There are two little gold-coloured stickers neatly applied on the turntable tray which are minor works of art:
"Set assembled and cabinet made in the Union of South Africa to the specification and direction of the Gramophone Co. Ltd, England".
Owners of the Trademark "Dog" picture and "His Master's Voice".
And then the other sticker: " Supplied by H. Polliack & Co Ltd, Incorporating MacKay Bros Ltd and MacKay Bros & McMahon Ltd.
Quaint, hey
The solid oak 'footwear' is very sturdy and splayed - not those spindly, splayed round affairs fitted to some of these cabinets.
Ironically, this old thing arrived at a time when I have been clearing out unwanted stuff for almost the entire 2012 and still busy doing so almost two months into 2013.
The long suffering missus seems quite taken with this acquisition and suggested to paint it white but that'll be the day :nono:
mafioso
