Antiques

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneer

As a child, I remember being ‘encouraged’ to play a musical instrument at school. Needless to say, I chose something which could immediately make some noise (rather than sound) and I started to learn the trumpet.

I quite enjoyed the trumpet (I even attained Grade 5 and still have a piece of paper to prove it!) but being honest, playing music including the sound from that old Hovis bread advert with the boy and the bike in Shaftesbury (by Dvořák) really did not interest me. Jazz on the other hand did, but this was of no interest to my teacher, and then other things such as O levels and parties took my attention and so the trumpet was given up.

Moving forward a few decades and I still enjoy jazz, along with many other music genres but I’m not one of those people who is any good with pop music quizzes. However, I do know what I like to listen to, even if Mrs B does not always agree.

Playing music when I was growing up was generally on a record player or cassette. Then CDs came along and made vinyl and tapes looked dated quite quickly. And today, streaming is the latest ‘thing’. We can stream music in the house, on the smartphone or in the car from a library of millions of artists.

But vinyl is making a comeback. Some record decks, amplifiers, speakers and other accessories can be eyewateringly expensive, with those in the know telling you how much better the sound is.

They are probably right but to me, it is not always about the sound quality – it is having the music to bring back memories and in our 5th & 6th January two-day auction we have a record player which will bring back memories, hopefully many happy ones.

No doubt the aficionados will raise an eyebrow or two, but to many music fans, seeing a Wurlitzer jukebox is a dream come true.

Coming in for auction from a client towards Poole, the owner was having a sort out and the jukebox was no longer needed.

Designed to hold 45 rpm singles, we plugged it in when it arrived and tried to play a record from the list of 160 titles. The chaps who delivered the jukebox stood there watching us pressing numerous buttons and then started to laugh. After some more pressing of buttons, one chap finally told us there was only one record left in the jukebox but sadly I did not have the time nor the energy to try all 160 combinations.

In good working order, this Wurlitzer will be a wonderful item to have in a family room or a man-cave.

Estimated at £400-600 I do hope the buyer has a good section of old 45s to play, unlike me who threw them all away years ago!