London, W.l.

THE GRAMOPHONE London Office: 58, Frith Street,

Edited by COMPTON MACKENZIE

r •

TELEPHONE: Regent 1383

Vol. III.

NOVEMBER, 1925

No.6

All communications , should be addressed to this office. In the case of J.11SS. or of letters requiring an answer an addressed and stamped envelope MUST be enclosed.

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Index to Vol.!., Is. 6d. post free,. Index to Vol.!. and Binding Case, in black cloth with gold lettering, 4s. 6d. post free. Index to Vol. II., Is., postage 2d.

Red cloth spring.;.back Binding Case (for the preservation of current numbers), 3s. 6d., postage 6d.

"A List of Recorded Chamber ~Music" (N.G.S. booklet), 6d., postage 1d.

" Wilson Protractor," Is., postage 2d. "Gramophone Tips, 1925," by Capt. H. T. Barnett, M.I.E.E., Is., post free.

"Gramophone Nights," by Compton Mackenzie and A1'chibald Marshall, 5s., postage 4d.

Back numbers of THE GRAMOPHONE, Vol.!., Is. each and postage 2d. (except Nos. 2 and 4 which are out of print). Vol. II., Nos. 1 to 12 inclusive, and Vol. III., Nos. 1,2,3 and 4, 2s. each and postage 2d.

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WHERE WE STAND

By THE EDITOR

IAlVI not sorry that various considerations have made i t necessary to hold my tong-ue about the l i t t le" gadget" to which I referred in the April number of THE GRAlVIOPHONE, because i t has enabled me to write about i t in conjunction with the new instrument which His Master's Voice will have presented for the approval of the public by the t ime these words are printed.

Last spring the Rev. L. D. Griffith, Rector of Silvington, wrote to me to say that he had discovered a device which had greatly improved the tone of his gramophone and for which he had applied for a patent. Would I advise him what to do with i t '? Now many people write to me in that strain, and I had begun to think that the spring of my hope is growing a l i t t le weak under the demands that are made upon i t . However, I asked him to let me try his invention i f i t was not too bulky for transport. In due course came a letter to say that he had sent i t to me. I summoned all hands to the beach to help land the device when the boat arrived that morning, but the precaution turned out to be unnecessary, because the device was small enough to be carried in a waistcoat pocket. In fact, i t was nothing but a l i t t le piece of indiarubber tubing apparently cut off a garden hose and enclosed in two curtain rings. I felt a l i t t le discouraged, for i t did not look as i f i t would improve a broken teapot, much less a gramophone. I turned my attention to the directions for use that accompanied i t and read that Mr. Griffith's theory was that the reproduction of recorded music was immensely improved by a flexible tone-arm. My Peridulce is the easiest machine for this kind of experiment, and on the Peridulce my first experiment was made. But, from the record's pOint of view, just how much flexibility was desirable ~ I looked round for a record to spoil, and I had no hesitation in choosing-no, let charity stay my pen. I harnessed the sound-box to the tone-arm with the tube as directed and not only could not perceive the slightest improvement, but actually fancied a definite inferiority. I tried again by adjusting the curtain rings to achieve the miracle that Mr. Griffith had promised. I t was no good. I tried i t on the H.M.V. horizontal grand. Wor~e. I tried i t on the Balmain. No good at all. The O1'chors01 does not lend herself to these experiments. I tried the Jewel Portable. This t ime I fancied that there was a slight improvement, but not enough to bother about. In the end I decided that here was