Rare Markel Playmaster old record changer
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- Опубликовано: 4 апр 2012
- This is a short video of one of my old record changers that was given to me by a friend who works with a partner in a business restoring old vacuum tube radios. He collects old radios and televisions from the 1940`s,and this rare changer was from his personal collection. I mainly collect old wind up phonographs, and have traded some of mine for some of his collectable items, such as some old record changers etc. and this is one of them.
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My grandfather Daniel Markel helped developed it and his company manufactured it. Very Cool!!
Coming to this so late to the party but whoa how clever is this?! No one would build anything so amazingly inventive these days.
When the player is playing the record upside down, there’s no gravity holding the needle up onto the record. It’s like magic.
I actually own one of these. I got it from my Grandparents back in the 70's. They played it a lot in the 60's. I haven't played it years and the electric cord needs to be replaced. I'm sure it will still work. It eas fun watching the video of my exact turn table!
What an amazing rejection system and it plays all 4 speeds, and both sides of the record!
Thanks, I was editing part one of the restoration project tonight and hope to have it posted on RUclips in a day or two. Stay tuned for it.
AWOSOME RECORD PLAYER REALLY LOVED IT. NEVER SEEN BEFORE RECORD PLAYER WHICH PLAYS BOTH SIDE RECORD
I LOVED YOUR OLD RADIO TOO.
Unreal! It's so amazing what people and engineers thought up for record changers. A real unique player!
I have seen a lot of changers, but never came across your video before. Very unique way of playing both sides and yes I would say that turntable is quire rare! Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic but you're using a microgroove stylus on this for sure. You're tracking the groove base. Need a wide stylus, especially for Deccas of this era.
Well there is something that you don’t see everyday ! I have never heard of such a machine and am amazed at how well it performs. This unit is a jem for sure ....
This is very nice player you have there. Glad you posted this. I would have never known that a changer like this was made. Thank you for sharing.
Very interesting and informative video. That is the oddest record changer I have ever seen, but fun to watch! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks. It was quite a project restoring it!
Think everybody is right wrong stylus also a slight speed issue ,never the less excellent video thanks for posting.
Quite an incredible changer. Nice to see it working unrestored. As others have said it is playing with a 33/45 stylus. It will sound 100% better with a 78 stylus. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks, I made friends with someone who works with a partner and they fix old tube radios. He and I have been trading collectables with each other, and he gave me this. He has also been helpful in helping me fix some of my tape recorders etc. that need new caps or resisters.He taught me to do some of the work but he still helps me with more difficult jobs.
Nice piece and very worthwhile for restoration! I love the old windups, but changers have their own charm. Cheers!
Very ingenious design! Would be fun to watch it go through a full stack!
What an amazing turntable! Never seen anything quite like it. Fascinating. Thanks for uploading.
Amazing... I keep discovering old stuff I've never seen before...
This is just too cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want one.
Wow, impressive. Ive seen machines that play two side, but not with rollers. Cool idea. Would love to see how two record are handled.
Also, just wanted to say I grew up with stack technology but I've never seen anything like this! Plays both sides, all speeds, and changes needles! The ultimate in machine age electronics! Today that would be wonderful technology updated for lighter tone arm but who knows! A machine like this made today would probably cost 2000!
What a fantastic working machine. Talk about unique. Thanks for the video.
Great work! Very impressive! Thanks for sharing.
this is really cool! God bless you!
That is an AMAZING changer man - had never seen one before, great stuff, more please !
This is AWESOME!!
Neat! It's amazing how old machines have so much more personality. It's almost as if they have a life of their own. Personally i like the big Hi-Fi stereos of the 60's-80's. When they started putting out some real wattage! Plus i listen to music from that time (and forward). It just seems fitting, listening to classic rock, on the machines it was meant to be played on (and at the appropriate ear splitting volume lol). No way digital will ever come close!
What amazing design & engineering!
SAM's Photofact info is dated Jan. 1950, which means the phonograph was manufactured in 1949 when the 45 rpm record format was introduced.
I was going thru a batch of 78s in the Midwest with odd circular wear but usually only on one side on the outer edge. Didn't buy any because nothing was a must have and the few I would've gambled on had the wear. Then found one of these players at an auction along with all of the records from the original owner and all of the records had wear where those wheels would spin the platter.
I keep coming back to this video and I really am amazed at the way the mechanism works and it is amazing that this all works to the degree that it does for its age . I still will ask if you can play a 33 rpm record and 45 rpm record to show the way that works . thank you very much all the best always
Thanks for your reply, I' going to look at the bedplate repainting you did, it's going to look awesome when your done.
Beyond cool ,Thank you for sharing....
I’ve sent this video quite a few times, yet I just realized something(though it is pretty obvious). The black headshell is suited for a 3 mil 78 stylus and the red headshell is suited for a 1 mil microgroove stylus, as the colors of the headshells match the colors on the speed control.
Wow...great tunes...
Finally, I get to see a Markel Playmaster in action. It sure is a unique machine. Please post more when you get the bugs worked out.
The hissing you hear is the old record`s surface noise, but also I `m playing it thru my old radio, and I probably had the treble turned up high. Old records like this usually had some kind of surface noise depending on what materials were used to make them. Thanks for watching.
I love this thing. It's amazingly wobble free.
I love this, along with the big Capeharts. They got very sophisticated before the LP made them all obsolete.
Man that is so GREAT!!! What a beautiful thing!
Awesome video
great maschine, the tone arme reminds me of teh seebruh vms tonearm, double sided stylis
one of a kind record changer ,never seen one like it
thanks, can`t wait till I get it fully restored.
Thanks for your video. Is the first time I see this type of player.
very nice, thanks for sharing
no, the rubber wheels are made of fairly soft rubber and they don`t cause any damage to the records, the only thing I hate is when the wheels rest on the turntable itself before the first record drops, the wheels turn on the flocking which is soft and it causes a flat spot on the soft flocking
yea, like the beauty and styling of an old classic car
Now that is what I call a real collectors item, that changer needs to be restored to like brand new condition, it is worth it. It sure has the Lincoln turnover changer beat for design and operation. I've never heard of this changer or seen one before until now. That was really quite a find and getting it free to boot you can't beat that.
Very cool- but I would only play common records on it. Same way with Victrola's or other old record players. Those old heavy tone arm players ruined many a 78. The steel needles on Victrolas also ruined a lot of records. I like the radio also.
This is the same point that everyone says, but unless their talking about a Hill&Dale cut record, they are wrong. If you use the machine correctly, and change the needle out every time, and put the Reproducer one it correctly, it will do no harm to the 78. Now if your playing a 78 that's like 30 years after the machine is made, you can actually damage either the record, or the machine, depending on what it is.
C Porter I agree. I honestly would not play any post 1925 78s on any phonograph made before the 1970s or 1980s unless it has been modified to track at a very light weight and had a good cartridge in it like the Stanton 500.
too cool for words!
I was waiting to see that 78 crack in half when it dropped. Those old auto players destroyed records,
That's a nice record changer! Always impressive to see a changer that can play both sides of a record. By the way...your EMUD radio was build in Ulm, Germany. That's where I live. I do have two EMUD radios as well, they're not that common.
Compared to the modern day turntables the companies actually produced unique pieces of art and used material that was almost industructible. The changers were the TRUE automatic turntables!!!
Great record
also the tonearm has a spring attached to it for the upward tracking force to play the underside of the records first. It`s really not that much as you might think, but the tonearm does need some kind of light pressure to keep the arm against the record grooves.
Yes I did, they looked fantastic
Thanks, I just did a new video update showing it repainted, and soon it will be ready to be reassembled. Can`t wait.
Good call on the record. It was 1934.
amazing !!!
Sorry I never responded to your comment earlier, but tha nks for the info. Now I know that the cart. head I used to play the 78 was the right one. i just made a new update video of it after I repainted it. Soon it will be ready to be reassembled. will let you know when it`s ready. Thanks for watching the video
thanks, love this record
Thanks man, I`m in the middle of restoring it, and can`t wait to present it on utube, to show it in proper working order
thank you. appreciate it.
Pretty cool for old technology
Thanks, I`ll try to do some more videos in the future. I`m looking forward getting it back together and tuned up to put up another video of it performing in top condition
That's really cool.
thanks, someone with a great imagination must ahve thought up this unique record changer
Super cool!!, I collect also but I had never seen one of these, It souds like It's palying with the LP needles. It is worth a total restoraton, I just could not see myself with it I'd play it to death.....
Thanks Raymond T. Am waiting for my friend to help me tweak it now that it`s almost put back together and restored. then I`ll make a video of it playing a stack of records...hope it works again. If you want, you can check out the other videos I made taking it apart and working on it. By the way, I love your videos too. they are sooooooo cool. Especially love when oyu go out on the street and go record hunting etc.
Kinda hear my eggs cooking......great video my man.....rick.
yea, I know what you mean, I`m only going to use it for demo purposes anyway, and an occasional playing just to keep the mechanism working. The only records I`m going to play on it anyway are 1950`s records which are heavier and can take the abuse. thanks for watching. I just made a new update video showing the phono bedplate repainted and soon it will be reassembled and ready to run again.
I have a feeling Chris is right about stylus size... what we both hear is the effect caused by using too small a diameter stylus in a large groove. Just try to replace the cartidge!
The upper frequency point of these early 78 is about 4.5K Hz... anything above that is usually noise if they are worn as in this case. A treble cut to an audibly confortable level could help. On 78 releases after 1955, the frequency range and be up to about 12K Hz... not the sound one expects from a 78!
Very nice
Wow! A SESAC version of The Three Stooges Theme, "Three Blind Mice".
thanks, it`s one of those record changers where everything has to be properly lubricated to work right
a guy who owns a garage who said he would work on it for me. It`s taken him a good long time to get it done, but I`m going to go see him soon and see if he got to it.
Cool player, but I am CRINGING at the sound of that stylus tearing through that record. Definitely not a 78 stylus. That loud hiss is what you hear when playing 78s with a microgroove stylus.
It doesn't destroy the record. How the myth of it doing so, OR the myth of The stylus being destroyed it's probably going to stay unknown forever. But one thing that will always be known by those who have actual experience, it won't destroy shit. Not even on a crosley.
@@CPorter I never said it destroyed the record. It's just not pleasant to listen to.
@@01chippe I know you didn't. But I'm just saying that anyways because other people already think that, and they probably think that you're saying the same thing.
@C Porter I hear you. I’m really not a fan of the Crosley machines, but it irks me hearing all the negative comments on how they will destroy your records.
@@01chippe exactly! all started by Jered Neww of Vinyleyez
Awesome demonstration. Seemed to be a good designed system. Suprised the cartridge is still good. Wonder why VM and other companies didn't replicate a similar system?
Thanks, I just uploaded a new video showing it after I repainted it. Soon it will be reassembled and then I`ll upload a video of it working again.
I love this record player this must have been from the 30's era
thanks, can`t wait till it`s all reassembled. Then I`ll make a full video of it
The name of the second song is "Hot Lips" by Henry Busse and his Orchestra
First side is "Wang Wang Blues"; flip side is "Hot Lips". Both were recorded on September 25, 1934, and issued on Decca 198.
The by-product of the rubber drive wheels is the record is playing in the correct rotation underneath, it was messing me up for a few minutes because the record is playing backward until it drops.
I would like to see what the designer wrote in his the patent application and how the patent clerk interpreted and cross checked the application. There is a little bit of every type of cutting edge technology for the time in this machine.
thanks, I`ll try to do my best.
no, because when the tonearm plays the underside of the record, the 45 rpm would be too light, and the tonearm has a spring to balance it with the proper force to play the underside. if a 45 was to be played I don`t think the record would have enough weight to it to keep the tonearm on the record
I have one up in the attic! :)
You should take it out and see what condition it's in
Glad to hear from you! Really didn't know if I'd get any response since your video was from 2012. I've had the changer for over 40 years. As a teenager (40 years ago) I collected radios & record players and have kept a few interesting ones. The Markel Playmaster in in very good physical shape, but hasn't be used in 40 years. I'm sure anything that's rubber has been degraded. I did a temporary mod (adhesive tape, popsicle sticks, & paper clips) to mount a common crystal cartridge to the tonearm, so that it could be used in the single side mode. I have one original cartridge/head (red) and the matching Markel preamp. Is it worth anything?
No, I just had long R.C.A. type cords attached from the turntable to my radios output jack
very nice turntable you are so lucky I saw one on ebay for 200 dollars and the mechanism must really be complex . I was wondering if you could show when done with the rebuild play a 33 1/3 and 45 rpm if possible to see what it is like playing them . keep up the great work and all the best
here was no more grease or dirt coming off onto the Q-tip. then I applied new grease to the cam. It took a while to clean the cam but it was better than trying to take it all apart. But like I said, the Sams Photofact helps.
actually, you can`t use the special attachments for 45`s because the wheels don`t reach the record. Plus the 45`s would be too light to support the tonearm to play in the automatic A & B side reject mode. BUT, the player does have a function switch to play records manually, one side at a time, or both sides sequentially. Only the 45`s can be played in a stack just like a regular record changer, just not like the 10 or 12" records.
Nice interesting
Did you find the ebay listing?
don`t know yet, I`ve only ever played that one record on it in the demo. Should be back together soon I hope. My friend who gave it to me is going to help in the fine tuning of it`s reassembly. Then I`ll demo it with a stack of records
That is odd. Kinda reminds me those vertical playing jukeboxes without the wheels. Nice and interesting.
Mark Markofkane thanks. This is definitely the rarest piece in my collection. In fact after seeing one of my videos showing the restoration of this player, someone contacted me to ask if i was interested in his father's Markel. I told him I was. And he sold it to me. So now I have two. One with the dark brown plastic cover around the control buttons and the covers for the turntable wheels, and the record stacker shelf, and one with light brown plastic covers.
Neat watching all those solutions they came up with through the years for playing both sides or different sizes / speeds etc. I am amazed this works at all considering the tracking force is pressing up with only the record weight holding it against the drive wheels. Arm must be fairly light to not lift it and slow or stop the record. If you use multiple records how does it handle that sequence?
LOVE the music! You said this will play 45s? Do you have to reposition the wheels for a 7" record?
thanks, check out the final video I made of it in completely restored condition. a big difference.