Opinions Please, Capehart Model 5

[Startgroove]

So, after storing this machine for many years, we pulled it out a while back and restored it. For the many year I owned it, I didn’t pay much attention to it until the restoration step. Then I became perplexed as to what it really was, and I’m not sure it can be called a jukebox. As it turned out, it does not have one important criteria for being a proper jukebox, in that a jukebox requires no human intervention other than inserting money and making a tune choice.


This machine has a coin entry, and an accumulator. Yet, it carries a stack of records in a drop changer made by Capehart. However, and here is the kicker, once all of the records have been played, there is no means to restack them. Someone has to open the lid of the cabinet, lift the changer stack to the load position, remove the records from the turntable, and restack them, one at a time, onto the stack and then lower it to the normal position, all by hand and before the records can be played again.


In the meanwhile, with research, I’ve learned that there were at least two other brands made with a similar design. A coin op version of the Victor 10-50 home phonograph and an RCA CE-29. In addition there was a table model version of this machine. All had to be restacked by hand.


So, the question come to mind, what was the purpose of a hands on coin operated phonograph like these? By any chance does anyone have an old advertisement that declares the merits of these devices?


Does anyone have any ideas on this one?

Russie Ofria

[Hildegard]

Hi Russ,

I did not find an advertisement which states the merits of re-stacking by hand. But it was described as you do, too.
I could imagine this one being offered as the less expensive economy version - called Capehart Junior. It was US$ 218.50.
Model 1 introduced in the same year changed automatically and was US$ 351:
aa.arcade-museum.com/Automatic-Age-1931-02/128/

And Presto-Times March 1931:
The Capehart Junior
Model No. 5 is known as the Capehart Junior, being by far the smallest coin-operated instrument in Capehart history. It has the new 10-12C record-changing
mechanism which handles ten records either 10-inch or 12-inch. In the cabinet are embodied butt walnut, satinwood and American walnut veneers, as well as
turned and fluted posts. Because of its small size as well as its ability to play 12-inch records, the new Capehart Junior is regarded as greatly widening the
market for coin-operated automatic phonographs.
The dimensions are: Width, 25-1/4 inches; depth, 17-1/2 inches; height, 42-3/4 inches.


Hildegard

[jim]

Apr 30, 2017 10:29:36 GMT Hildegard said:

Hi Russ,

I did not find an advertisement which states the merits of re-stacking by hand. But it was described as you do, too.
I could imagine this one being offered as the less expensive economy version - called Capehart Junior. It was US$ 218.50.
Model 1 introduced in the same year changed automatically and was US$ 351:
aa.arcade-museum.com/Automatic-Age-1931-02/128/

And Presto-Times March 1931:
The Capehart Junior
Model No. 5 is known as the Capehart Junior, being by far the smallest coin-operated instrument in Capehart history. It has the new 10-12C record-changing
mechanism which handles ten records either 10-inch or 12-inch. In the cabinet are embodied butt walnut, satinwood and American walnut veneers, as well as
turned and fluted posts. Because of its small size as well as its ability to play 12-inch records, the new Capehart Junior is regarded as greatly widening the
market for coin-operated automatic phonographs.
The dimensions are: Width, 25-1/4 inches; depth, 17-1/2 inches; height, 42-3/4 inches.


Hildegard

[Startgroove]

I'm guessing that one use would be as a rentable location phonograph. In other words, people could bring in their own records and play their choice of music during a meal, or dance to their personal musical tastes. Another possible is that the location owner would provide a group of records for the patrons to choose from, allowing them to load the machine. Yet another possible, is that some location employee might simply be monitoring the music and would take a break from bar tending, or serving food, to reload the machine.

[Hildegard]

Hi Russ. These are interesting ideas about bringing even own records to a public location.
All options are possible - though being the location owner I probably would not want guests loading the records by themselves; being afraid that something goes wrong ... Everybody must have been very excited about the possibility to play resp. to listen to music at that time.
Hildegard

[Startgroove]

H,
Yes, I can see how some location owners would cringe at patrons loading a machine, especially very young people, or very drunk people. At the same time, some might welcome the relief, if they were short handed, or very busy.

The changer in the Model 5 is the same as the one used in home entertainment units, so the changer is designed for human intervention. Plus, it is rather sturdy and foolproof. Yet, on the other side of the coin, you would think that if it were intended for public use, there would be an instruction label somewhere on the machine. If there was one, it is now gone.

I'm still not sure what market this was aimed at!

[Hildegard]

Maybe they were intended for small locations like small cafes for example, or where alcohol wasn't allowed officially.
Model No. 6 was the same like No. 5 - just no coin mech. Capehart did built both for home and commercial use. But still a good question what these kind of semi automatic models were intended for.

Hildegard