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Collectables to die for! #1.The Polyphon

Judgement Day · 2011-11-14 20:20:48

You can forget all your old Wurlitzer juke boxes, stereo systems and whatever you're having yourself but if you haven't experienced first-hand the sound of a Polyphon you haven't lived - musically speaking anyway. :D I was lucky enough to visit the "Hidden Street" museum in Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire some years ago and…

14-11-2011 8:20pm

#1

Judgement Day

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You can forget all your old Wurlitzer juke boxes, stereo systems and whatever you're having yourself but if you haven't experienced first-hand the sound of a Polyphon you haven't lived - musically speaking anyway.

I was lucky enough to visit the "Hidden Street" museum in Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire some years ago and amongst the many amazing replica shops there, there was an old time music shop with a number of these elegant machines. A little bit of background to the Polyphon here: http://www.collectorsworldinc.com/history.php

In their simplest form they were small music boxes that could be found in many Victorian homes but in their most elaborate form they were massive coin operated monsters in elegant, carved hardwood cabinets.

Today the cabinet versions fetch anything from £5,000 for the cheapest to £25/30,000 for some of the top of the range ones. The one pictured below is already on £3,463.04 on eBay with 6 days to go - it's a small one as they go, unrestored and with a touch of woodworm!

This is the best YouTube video that I could find tonight but it just doesn't do justice to the power and quality of the sound. One of these days I'm going to do for Paddy Power and order myself one of these magnificent beasties.

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