Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!