1910 Polyphon 12 Coin op gramophone

Price: 2250€ + shipping

Polyphon 12 Gramophone – A Masterfully Preserved Piece of History

This remarkable Polyphon 12 gramophone came perilously close to being dismantled, as its previous owner, unable to make it function, considered scrapping it. Fortunately, it arrived at our workshop, where we discovered that over the course of its life it had been repaired on several occasions, as attested by the dates and signatures left by craftsmen inside the coin drawer.

Coin-operated Polyphon gramophones are renowned for the sophistication of their mechanisms, designed expressly to prevent any manipulation by the user that might allow more than one side of a disc to be played. Any improper movement of the acoustic arm would bring playback to an immediate halt. This very complexity, however, made them prone to failures, particularly in the delicate system intended to lift only the soundbox. It was likely this challenge that inspired the brilliant modification carried out at the time: the mechanism was adapted to raise both the arm and the soundbox together through the ingenious addition of counterweights at the rear. These interventions, dated 1913 and 1928, are today a faithful reflection of early 20th-century values: repair rather than discard, and the extraordinary skill to understand and resolve the root of a problem. In tribute to those craftsmen, we have carefully preserved these century-old interventions as a testament to their ingenuity.

In our workshop, the following restoration work has been undertaken:

• Full restoration of the soundbox with its push-button needle-change mechanism

• Adjustment of the motor, including replacement of the fatigued spring

• Repair of the linkages of the coin-operated mechanism

• Fabrication of a new internal collar to support the horn, replacing the fractured original

The result is a gramophone in perfect working order, which retains a beautiful patina that highlights its 115 years of age.

A singular piece, imbued with soul and history, destined to become one of the most admired treasures of your collection.

Should you wish to explore the possibility of adding this exceptional piece to your collection, or should you require any further information, we invite you to contact us in confidence at pedrofono@pedrofono.es or by telephone/WhatsApp at +34 639 19 72 08.