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Bought a $40 victrola crank handle from a flea market and it started a polka riot
Found it in a bin of old radio parts in Cincinnati last fall. The thing looked perfect for my 1920s portable phonograph. Cranked it up, put on a record, and it played at triple speed. My neighbor's dog started howling along to 'The Beer Barrel Polka' like it was a fire alarm. Anyone know a good place to get these things properly calibrated?
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willowh206d ago
chipmunks playing polka" is my new band name, I mean I've definitely sounded like that trying to fix things myself.
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anthony_campbell887d ago
Oh man, that triple speed thing is a classic sign. Those old crank springs are probably wound way too tight after all these years. It's not really a calibration thing, more like a full service. You'd need someone who knows vintage phonographs to take it apart and adjust the governor inside. I'd check with any local antique radio clubs, those guys usually know a retired repairman. Otherwise your whole record collection is gonna sound like chipmunks playing polka.
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grace897d ago
Anthony's totally right about finding a specialist! It reminds me how we've lost so many basic repair skills. Everything's built to be thrown out now, but old stuff was made to be fixed by someone with the right know-how. We used to have repair shops on every corner for shoes, watches, radios. Now we just order a new one online when it breaks. It's a real shame, that kind of hands-on knowledge is disappearing.
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