Front view of a Canadian Knapp Type M windup phonograph. Has a mix of solid and thick veneer mahogany. One of the legs was missing and has been replaced with a new piece carved out of mahogany. You cannot tell this from the photos, nor could you possibly detect this in person without very careful examination. A really nice job was done.
The original parts were nickel plated, but have been told by professionals that they were actually chrome. The parts you see have been replated with chrome and are in nice condition, but not perfect. Highly questionable to replate pieces since they were made from pot metal and are prone to breakage when replating. Pot metal is a low-melting point metal that manufacturers use to make fast, inexpensive castings.
Not worth a lot as an antique since the maker is not a more popular brand and some of the parts are not original to the machine; however, as a rebuilt player with no mechanical issues, it is has a higher value than most.
The doors are reproductions and fit nicely with the unit. They are held on with nickel plated hinges. The knobs are nickel plated too. There is a photographic anomaly that shows a vertical line which does not exist in real life.
Left side view of case. The finish is a little darker and red than the original finish.
The pull knob to the right is used as a volume control.
The crank is in beautiful shape and has the original wood handle. Easily detached from the player by cranking in the opposite direction.
Another view of the crank.
Backside photograph makes the unit look very ugly, but this is not truly the case. With some effort the glossy finish can be toned down to a satin one.
The internal horn required some work to make it acoustically sound. At this point it is very solid. A surface crack is visible, but does not extend beyond the surface.
Top side view of player. The contrast between the dark and lighter shades of the finish is greatly exaggerated in this photograph and doesn't look like this under normal lighting conditions.
Internal view with Victor No. 2 reproducer. Notice the platter has a texture to it. This is original to the unit and is not the result of rust or corrosion.
Victor No. 2 reproducer has been rebuilt and is valuable on its own. Many reproducers are not easy to fix, but this one is. It is recommended that extra gaskets and micas be obtained along with an extra attaching screw. The mica is attached with a very tiny screw coated with bees wax.
The tonearm has a really nice floating action and is very strong, but has a crack on the underneath side that can't be seen, nor does it cause any problems (a result of the replating process). On this particular tonearm there is a metal spring that lightens the load on the reproducer. This was a modification done to accommodate the heavier Victor No. 2 reproducer. The green felt pad is new and not so easy to cut. The platter shows finger prints that makes the platter look discolored.
The interior of the needle cups have a satin finish. The piano hinge is very bright and has all the original screws. At least one of the top side screws does not look original to the case, but may be.
The platter can be easily removed, but need to make sure there is no load from the spring on it before removal or else ... disaster!
The lid stay rod is not original to the player. It has been nickel plated and blends in very nicely. Not much difference between nickel and chrome plating other than the fact that chrome plated pieces are nickel plated pieces with an additional plating of chromium. Chrome looks a little more shiny and has a blue hue to it whereas nickel plating does not.
The original label needed to be touched-up some and it turned out nicely.
The brass label has been meticulously restored and looks very good. Have examined the case carefully and cannot tell where this label should go. As a result, have left it unattached.
A magnified view of the brass label makes it look rough. The naked eye would not be able to discern this level of detail.
Interior without motor board or tonearm. Needs a little cleaning and touchup.
The motor has been rebuilt with new springs for the windup mechanism and the speed governor. There is a fiber gear that has been replaced along with the worm gear. This is not the type of thing you would want to work on yourself. Have had help with a machine shop to get it working with no luck. Also, the double spring will surprise you if you disassemble as it will spring into action and possibly cause injury. Had to send the motor to a specialist that charged $200 for the rebuild. Money very well spent. The motor is well lubricated and the action is smooth with no clunks as it unwinds. This makes the player worth some money!
Found some information on this player and it originally cost $77 in the 1920's. Pretty much in line with the Victor Victrola IX. Notice that the doors look different than what is on the player today. Didn't see this information until years after this unit was rebuilt and refinished. When this model was purchased around the year 2000 it was in below average mechanical and cosmetic condition. It looked like it had been in a damp basement for years. The plated parts looked dull and uneven and in some areas worn to almost nothing. The motor had a handfull of malfunctioning or worn out parts. This is what you would get in the $200 range at the time.
Canadian Knapp Phonograph, Type M, Circa 1922
A collection of images from a nearly finished rebuild and refinish of a very fine Canadian mahogany windup phonograph player. Can't really call it a restoration for various reasons, but is in very good cosmetic and mechanical condition. Features an internal horn, volume control and speed regulator. Similar to the Victor Victrola IX, this unit can use the Victor No. 2 reproducer. Date of manufacture is 1922 ± 4 years.
If you ever wanted to hear what a 78 record sounds like on an acoustical player, this is an expensive way to go. A quality antique phonograph could cost upwards of $3000 or as little as $400 for a player in good working order. It is getting more difficult to find parts and/or qualified professionals who know anything about the workings of such a piece and just as importantly, finding unscratched 78's is just as taxing. With this in mind, UserX set out to purchase and possibly rebuild such a player. $725 later, many hours of work, and after much frustration, UserX ended up with a very nice player with no current or probable future mechanical issues.
The camera flash makes the unit look more dusty or discolored than it really is. You can zoom in on the images if you mouse over them. During autoplay zoom is disabled.
Valued in the range of $675 - $825
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