The Compleat Talking Machine: A Collector's Guide to Antique Phonographs [Paperback]

Eric L. Reiss (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Sonoran Pub; 4 edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886606188
• ISBN-13: 978-1886606180
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,726,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for restoring and repairing phonographs, April 26, 2006

By 

Stephen Botts "cercamon" (Los Angeles, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Compleat Talking Machine: A Collector's Guide to Antique Phonographs (Paperback)

I think you will find this an awesome book, as long as you know what to expect. Reiss focuses on external horn machines, and includes only a couple of pictures of the internal horn machines. If you are looking for a book with lots of details about Victrola models, this is not it.

That's not a problem if you are looking for repair information, since most wind-up machines share the same basic construction. Reiss is a great technical writer, giving you step-by-step instructions in nice readable English. He covers both mechanical repairs (such as rebuilding the reproducer or fixing a broken spring) and cosmetic repairs. I really liked his tips for cleaning the finish and repairing blemishes and dings.

In summary, if you own a talking machine and want to fix it or spruce it up, this book is a critical resource. If you are shopping for a Victrola, this is not the book for you. I take that back. I would have shopped much more intelligently for my first Victrola if I had read this book first. Just changed the rating from 4 to 5!