I got this weird turntable... record player...

[taiwanluthiers]

I just got this turntable, in Taiwan. It looks quite old, no idea how old.

I know it's cheap Chinese crap, build quality looks incredibly cheap too, but man this thing looks like an official record player for the CCP, including a picture of Chairman Mao too. You take the included crank and crank it to get it turning.

Anyone familiar with this thing? It's more historical than anything but I can't find any info on it.

What's more amazing is how they get this in martial law era in Taiwan, back when Taiwan Chinese relationship was not exactly good... I'm sure this thing was forbidden back then.

[damiena]

Wow! 

[KariFS]

Wonder if the Little Red Book came in Audio format, and how many 7” vinyls would that have been

Cheap is relative, looks like that would not have been something an average Chinese could have been able to acquire.

[JacquesD]

Is that a tuning scale on the left, allowing radio reception? The motor is spring-driven, apparently, but is there some electronic amplification? The pickup head with two positions reminds of the Philips N/M cristal elements (e.g., a 22GP316).

I suppose you are aware of this Youtube video showing an identically looking player. Yes, radio reception and electronic amplification, battery powered.

A special historic item, I would say. Whether you trust it to play your records is a different matter.

Thank you for sharing!

[floppybootstomp]

I never seen one of them before - interesting 

[taiwanluthiers]

Yea, bought it for a friend, 100US dollars, he thinks it's a historical item. It kinda shows you that probably some Chinese that came over are more loyal to the CCP than the KMT.

I have no idea where the battery go, I think according to the video I found it takes 4 D cells. I don't have any at the moment.

I thought at first it was a grammophone, you know it's purely mechanical, but I'm guessing the thing has an amplifier powered by the D battery.

[RR1957]

Why do you call it cheap Chinese crap?
I think in the sixties it was not that and you should see it in that perspective.
As we can see it is mechanical driven, but in those days a lot of places had no electricity I suppose.
A lot of people were starving of hunger in those days.
This must have been an expensive device for the Chinese, the same as the Chinese radio I have made in the sixties.
That radio was not crap too and build in the high quality which was still possible in China in those days.
It must have been build for the local rulers and the rulers of the whole country. Most Chinese could not pay these
luxery devices at all. Much too poor and their thought were for real trouble to survive.



Thanks for sharing that exeptional device.
I live in Holland, but my partner is from Shanghai and has never seen this in China when he ived there till the ninties.

[RR1957]

Is that a tuning scale on the left, allowing radio reception? The motor is spring-driven, apparently, but is there some electronic amplification? The pickup head with two positions reminds of the Philips N/M cristal elements (e.g., a 22GP316).

I suppose you are aware of this Youtube video showing an identically looking player. Yes, radio reception and electronic amplification, battery powered.

A special historic item, I would say. Whether you trust it to play your records is a different matter.

Thank you for sharing!

Thx for finding and sharing the demo!

[Adelmo]

Why do you call it cheap Chinese crap?
I think in the sixties it was not that and you should see it in that perspective.
As we can see it is mechanical driven, but in those days a lot of places had no electricity I suppose.
A lot of people were starving of hunger in those days.
This must have been an expensive device for the Chinese, the same as the Chinese radio I have made in the sixties.
That radio was not crap too and build in the high quality which was still possible in China in those days.
It must have been build for the local rulers and the rulers of the whole country. Most Chinese could not pay these
luxery devices at all. Much too poor and their thought were for real trouble to survive.



Thanks for sharing that exeptional device.
I live in Holland, but my partner is from Shanghai and has never seen this in China when he ived there till the ninties.

Hi,

Agree, I have some Chinese stuff like Shanghai mechanical wrist watch and some ceramic, but I miss a kind of turntable like this. Quite unique as object, first time I have seen it.

Rgds

Adelmo

[RR1957]

Hi,

Agree, I have some Chinese stuff like Shanghai mechanical wrist watch and some ceramic, but I miss a kind of turntable like this. Quite unique as object, first time I have seen it.

Rgds

Adelmo

Very nice, we have a lot of old or very old Chinese porcelain.
My partner is a true collector.
Here a small part of it.



To find the Chinese radio in Holland is rather unique.
Only one other is known. They were not made for export in the sixties.

Have fun. Thanks for sharing the radio-gramophone.

[taiwanluthiers]

Now all it needs is a little red instruction manual...

The soundsheet on it is badly warped, any advise on how I can fix this? It won't play at all.

[Andr039]

Now all it needs is a little red instruction manual...

The soundsheet on it is badly warped, any advise on how I can fix this? It won't play at all.

what about a red hammer from a title page of a little red instruction manual? 

[paulfromcamden]

Very nice, we have a lot of old or very old Chinese porcelain.
My partner is a true collector.
Here a small part of it.

Lovely Rene. I love Asian ceramics. Sadly any that entered our home would be soon destroyed by the cat...