HMV No 11 Gramophone Pick-up Restoration

Mark repairs a pair of 1930's Electric Pick-ups, used to upgrade wind-up gramophones for electric amplifiers. These suffer from rotton coils, rotton rubber, and unobtainable parts. Innovation is required!

[@johnbowyer6902]

These episodes of yours, Mark, are outstanding; with all the various disciplins that you are so skillful at. A real joy to watch.😊

[@pauljacobs3170]

I just want to publicly thank Mark for his skill, craftsmanship and attention to detail in bringing these classic pieces of audio history back to working order. He is a true artisan. They will now be pressed into full service as part of The Hot Jazz Society’s equipment line up playing period authentic music at events and venues up and down the country.

[@bixanorak]

Hi there. I share your admiration for Mark's abilities, and duly record them here. But, may I please enquire about 'The Hot Jazz Society'? I searched online but could not find it - perhaps I did not look in the right place? But I have been a fan of (and a musician in) Hot Jazz since the 1960s. I'm now retired, but was not hitherto aware that your society existed. I would be very grateful to receive particulars, & would naturally like to join such a commendable organisation! Best regards, Norman Field.

[@roylarsen7417]

@@bixanorak is the club hot if you get my drift ...

[@BTW...]

Tracking weight is horrendous. Do you really use such devices to play old shellac? I don't!

[@pauljacobs3170]

@@bixanorak Hello Norman! I am of course fully aware of yourself. In fact, if I remember rightly, it was your demonstration of one of these that put me on the road to hunting down a pair, so thank you for bringing them to my attention. Though it took me a heck of a time to find someone like Mark who was competent enough to restore them to the desired level. We are not an actual society, it is just a name I use for my DJing escapades playing period records using period authentic equipment, thus the need for the No.11s. Please do now consider yourself an honorary member of ‘Hot Jazz Society’ All the best HJS

[@James_Bowie]

@@BTW... I agree. That obsolete nail and brick mechanism will destroy them.

[@andrewjackson7014]

An incredible fix!! How you were able to keep everything in the look of the period was just magical to watch!!

[@wirdy1]

Anyone else? I think that playing the whole song at the end, on the newly-refurbished pickup, was pure editing genius & a perfect ending to the video.

[@hermesserranoaudio]

Absoloutely clever !

[@andrewjackson7014]

I couldn't agree more!!

[@77Cardinal]

Just stumbled into this. I'm sitting in a small farm shop in Eastern Canada in January with a woodstove and a barn cat. Got rather involved with you rewinding the coil. Looked up to see my barn cat sitting at my shoulder watching the video. I think she liked your voice. Anyway, we enjoyed the visit.

[@electronicengineer]

This man is clearly beyond great at what he does. In my opinion Mark, you are an extremely gifted person in countless disciplines. The extremely high level of your attention to all of the fine, little details is what sets you apart from all of the "others". Thank very much fine sir for sharing your super-high level skill with us. You truly are AMAZING Mark! Fred

[@fredcommandeur8809]

Yes Fred, you have absolutely right and it was a plasure to see this video how he fixt the old grammophon player! Fred

[@BPantherPink]

My sentiments exactly Fred...a true Labour of Love for the craft !!

[@drewwade9640]

I totally agree with your assessment of Mark's approach to his craft.

[@tubaman66]

Your commitment to keeping things as authentic as possibly is a joy to behold!

[@joshuaalbright]

This is one of my favorite episodes yet. Re-winding the coils and custom-dyed cable fabric are just over the top excellence. Brilliant work, Mark.

[@moking8095]

Hi Mark, What memories you have brought back to me. As a child of 10 in the early 50's and lots of odds and sods from the 20's and 30's I had many of the old magnetic pick-up heads to play with. My father made a radio-gram using a wind up gramophone with a magnetic head and a table top radio complete with 2.0 volt accumulator and 9v grid bias battery and 120v HT battery. That was all high tech in those days. Many thanks for an enjoyable trip down memory lane. MoK

[@mikeh6876]

You know, Mark, as much as you enjoy the work you do, just imagine the joy and warm hearts of the people whose "things" you fix must feel. You restore their hearts.

[@hasnainmolu5189]

Amazing.....was very therapeutic. Didn't want it to end. You are truly an engineer at heart. Bless you.

[@HansDelbruck53]

An engineer indeed.

[@johnnycats5157]

wow, i'm amazed at the sound it was producing. nice job.

[@stevenlagoe7808]

I was just going to say the same. Amazing sound!

[@darylhudson777]

My Dear Mark, I would love to give your parents a hug for having you as this was a very touching episode in the lively sounds of the past as if we were there. Bravo, Mate, just well done. 👍

[@groenendiek]

I will never have a workshop like yours, nor the skills you are demonstrating in your videos. But this is the next best thing, enjoying your adventures into repairs and rebuilds. And everything is done with a smile. Thanks Mark.

[@Singh-et2gx]

Originality is never been compromised by MARK. You are really genius

[@2010gtoner]

Brilliant to watch a chap working like a true PRO and having a bit of banter as well. Keep her lit Mark x

[@marcodoria]

This is way beyond a simple repair. Mark, you're a legend! Thank you for sharing!

[@radio-ged4626]

I love the engineering aspect of your job. I'm getting quite jealous of some of the kit you have and the knowledge you have on the mechanical side. Another superb job.

[@klauslaus2535]

I didn't know the probe yet, it's simply brilliant. It's unbelievable how you managed to wind these delicate wires onto the roll. Your work is more exciting than a crime novel. Great, I'm really excited. Thanks for the video, it means a lot of work and takes a few hours.

[@InCountry6970]

Just a super job and your modern version of an old cable is flawless

[@PeasGraveny]

A most talented and likeable chap.Well done Mark!

[@MaxTyminsky]

35 mins of pure satisfaction! Thank you for your time and effort and keep on the good work!

[@billdoodson4232]

That sounded so much better than it had any right too. I normally watch machinists channels like CEE or Snowball Engineering, but this one is brilliant. It deserves far more subscribers.

[@richclips]

Mark, you are truly a craftsman! love your work, thank you :)

[@maveric5381]

I love how you have all the tools and equipment to do all of these projects.

[@rayofcreation3996]

@Maveric exactly.

[@eugbrat]

This is my most favourite video of yours Mark. The ending was beautiful 🥹

[@BPantherPink]

Since I found Mark's channel yesterday, I just cant get over his smile and loving face !! Every vdo of his is a treat to watch !! This, ofcourse is a pure Labour of Love for his craft ❤

[@rayofcreation3996]

Absolutely!

[@Jimmermgb]

one of my favourite watches, so authentic to detail. what a satisfying project from start to finish

[@andrewmcintyre8491]

You are brilliant at what you do, Mark.

[@EuroScot2023]

I love your dedication to detail, Mark. Even down to using a coil winder which looks to pretty well match the No 11 pickup for vintage!

[@kevinmothers904]

Ladies and gentlemen the last tune at this afternoons tea dance is Victor Silvester and His Ballroom Orchestra and Meet Mister Callaghan from the 1954 film of the same name....catchy ain't it! That Mark was the most entertaining thirty five minutes I have spent watching a restoration. Excellent.

[@yanfishtwig2356]

thank you i hoped someone would mention the title i love the tune

[@joefzd4040]

Another great video! Makes you realise how labour intensive the production of electronics was back in the day. The materials used were so different as well, rubber, leather, cotton, bakelite etc. The horse shoe magnet was excellent!

[@nudebaboon4874]

Well done that man! And thanks for letting that nice bit of music play out Mark, nice finishing touch.👍👍

[@michaelkemp2218]

As they used to say ,yow cor beat it our kid, super videos Mark showing superb skills and application !

[@julmibbaa]

Thanks Doc. A perfect 10/10 a genius restoration of the vocal cord😁

[@johnleigh6937]

I love the old stuff it reminds me of when i was a kid i liked taking things to bits to see how they worked cutting a long story short we had an old record player a stacker .11 year old me when decided to mess with it plugged in got an electric shock lessons learned

[@jeffc2190]

Amazing work again, Mark! A true craftsman.

[@dannyruth9925]

It is so refreshing to see someone so intelligent and skilled who is modest and not arrogant.

[@vicsutton2]

Crikey Mark - that is out of this world, what a genius I am truly impressed

[@johnmarchington3146]

Many thanks, Mark, for another totally enjoyable video. What amazed me was how good the sound was from that damaged 78. Extraordinary!

[@rayofcreation3996]

Ain't it?😅

[@nathanmoak1515]

90 years ago a whole factory of workers put those pickups together and you did all by yourself! well done sir! now the scratchie records are louder!

[@mihaisekulin]

Ok Mark i loved all what you repair, you its a genius for that, thank you.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

I know you have serious kills, but when you compared the original cloth wire to your repro wire, my jaw hit the floor. HOLY Biscuits! That was amazing.

[@shaunmorrissey7313]

Love the attention to detail, It makes all the difference

[@Thmartin60]

Your videos always put a smile of joy on my face. Thank you Mark !

[@TimHollingworth]

Wonderfull. Thank you for allowing the record to fully play out into the exit groove. Lovely to hear a time gone by... It would have been incredible to hear it for the first time with an 'electronic' speaker.

[@radiovalkyrierecords5102]

Gotta say, the resulting pickup sounds REALLY good. Bravo to you and to the original engineers!

[@ryanintopeka]

We could be best friends. I just discovered your channel a couple days ago and your tech work is the level I strive for. You work on a lot of stuff I would LOVE to work on. Every time there comes a moment where I’m like “he should do this or that,” you do. Every time. You have a wonderful sense of pride and passion and as another tech geek I really appreciate it a lot.

[@rayofcreation3996]

Absolutely! Well said.

[@jeffjohnson2883]

Your the best mark you inspire me and many others to be better than we are....

[@lambertax]

Ce type est absolument génial ! Son attitude perpétuellement joyeuse engendre la notre. Quel talent 👍

[@michaelgreenhaf6624]

Loved that pickup repair you are amazing 👏 ❤️ 🙌

[@TheBudliner]

Fantastic how Mark Mends. You sir are amazing. you just restored a part of history, and in this disposable world that’s truly a treasure.

[@theoldbigmoose]

What stunning sound Mark! Took me right back to my youth!!!

[@AreTwo2]

Mark, That was a great, just great. I hope they end up in a museum. Thank you for going to that trouble - from me and future generations.

[@surfraptor]

Your craftmanship! Amazing. Thanks and cheers from Holland.

[@quantumleap359]

Mark, your workmanship and attention to detail is just superb. I am very impressed with what you do and how you do it!

[@juergenlohse6902]

I really admire your patience and persistance.

[@JulianStokesIt]

Bravo! Amazing to see the process and the pains you took. Love the record - such amazing sound quality!

[@clivefinlay3901]

The end result was fantastic! The sound quality was amazingly far better than the standard needle affair. Great job!👏👏👍👍

[@mrrgstuff]

Great repair and excellent attention to detail. I have some similar kit I am in the process of fixing. Just putting together a coil winder as I think they need rewinding too. Thanks for posting 👍 😀

[@MikeGervasi]

Brilliant sounding. You're not only a fixer, you're a restorer, lad.

[@per-oveoskarsson4234]

Impressive with you sence of accuracy I enjoy watching you repairs. Thank you very much for getting old stuff alive again and sharing the knowledge to do so. Per

[@patrickmorrissey2582]

Mark, you do some amazing repairs! I’ve never seen anyone repair the way you do, truly fascinating!

[@simonbeasley989]

Lovely restoration, you had some patience rewinding that coil! Can't believe how great the 78 sounded through the pickup.

[@zcomz]

It’s a joy to watch your handiwork, attention to detail and level of expertise in what you’re doing, Mark. This video was especially fun, since I brought down my record player from the attic during easter where its been sitting for the last 15 years to play some LP’s for my son of 8 (or ‘music thingies’ as he calls them), and I now could show him a proper 78 RPM record player also, not just 33 and 45. Thanks again, love your work!

[@rayofcreation3996]

You radiate joy and happiness Mark. Wow! 🎉

[@absurdengineering]

This was a treat! Wow! Superb job all around.

[@MrFixiit]

just bloody marvlous watching you fix up these pieces of historic technology you colour match on the chord was spot on 10/10 mark keep these videos comming.

[@user-thegoods71]

Great patience Mark . Great job

[@allandenman9387]

Dear Mark. Fabulous work. I can't add any more superlatives to the rest of the comments. Your dedication is beyond reproach. Nice to see you have all the equipment to perform the restoration. Never thought I would see you working on such vintage equipment. Will be looking for more. Best regards Allan 😃

[@hankclay1376]

I love when you restore older hardware. You do such a great job. Thanks for sharing your amazing work!

[@darrenwendell1723]

Love your dedication to make it right.

[@neilmasters9914]

Mark that was amazing, incredible patience and great skill well done!! Best Neil

[@mariorivas6259]

Felicitaciones! Es un placer el poder ver el cariño que tenés por los artefactos antiguos.

[@tommeier2299]

Thanks a lot for this excellent restoration. I really enjoyed all the small details and techniques you used to get the authentic look. I'll try to remember some of them for my own projects, e.g. knotting the thread around the cable or using the wax.

[@zopilotesky3014]

Nicely accomplished! Sounds great with good output.

[@iantyler4045]

Your attention to detail and authenticity is amazing. Even down to dying the cable to match the original. I was amazed how good it sounded.

[@DrewFMProductions]

I can guarantee that sounds better than the original, even when it was new.

[@ExtremeBogom]

Well done Mark, great attention to detail and what a lovely thing that is.

[@Theoobovril]

Magic, well done, Mark.

[@mrma281]

This man and his channel deserves much better, great job.

[@burmesecolourneedles4680]

Wonderful! I love your attention to period detail. Kudos!

[@outfield1988]

You make everything look easy.

[@ThePaulharwood]

your a genius, you make live worth living just watching you makes me happy .just keep going mark ! !

[@jjcaruso44]

Great job. Meticulous work and great vintage equipment. Thanks for your videos!

[@jameskolar9655]

That was fantastic. I have thoroughly enjoyed this vid. Thank you.

[@MrIanmmackay]

Astonishing attention to detail - those cables... 😲

[@andrewwturner]

It was really clever and ingenious how you managed to retain the correct period look on these. Fantastic video and really interesting to watch the process.

[@stevegifford1832]

Hi Mark, absolutely obsessed with your channel! Great to see someone who cares about getting things right. I've learned so much. Thank you. Keep up the great work!

[@sergiototote]

Incredible… Master of the bricolaje… Congratulations… 😃

[@thijsvdakker1615]

Real craftsmanship! Wauw.. well done!

[@duroxkilo]

perfect video :) *more turns make for a hotter pick-up (larger electrical signal) but as the inductance increases the high freq are being attenuated.

[@SubTroppo]

The more I hear of this gear (as charming as it is) the more I appreciate the micro-groove LP and a half-decent hifi setup.

[@WouterB76]

Excellent job Mark!

[@McSynth]

Wonderful restoration sir !

[@326thmedic9]

Fantastic job. Love those old gramophones.

[@rich6245]

Mark. I love your videos and approach to problem defining and solving. Keep up the good work. Happy New Year. One burning question: What is the name of the piece of music in your intro credits? It's brilliant, cheery and unique. Ideal for your theme music; just like you.

[@BjornBlomstrand]

Oh mine god. you are Absolutely fanrastic. Really nice job. I remember seeing that type of an electric pick-up in a small radioshop in Stockholm for many years ago. Bjorn

[@garyhardman8369]

Loved that tiny coil winding machine. Back in the dim and distant past, one of my jobs involved winding coils for transformers. My machine was a bit larger though and powered by a big three-phase motor!

[@djbolamix8997]

What a wonderful job! You are very good at what you do! excellent I would say... Congratulations ...