The Musicola - Australia’s Own Jukebox

By Harry Hodkinson, Brisbane, Australia hodkinson.h@gmail.com © June 2000.

See also my website www.jukebox-collector.com

Most jukeboxes found in Australia are of foreign origin, either fully imported or made locally under license to foreign designs. However, one Australian company did design and manufacture six different jukeboxes. This is their story in words and pictures.

Where shall I start? Well, things were a bit different back in 1949. Jukeboxes were becoming widespread in Australia. In the state of New South Wales, jukeboxes now made about 1.6 million plays each week and collected about 40,000 pounds in coins. Further west, in the state of Victoria, jukeboxes were less common. In 1949 American heart-throb Johnnie Ray was mobbed by teenagers when he visited the Bayview Hotel in Rushcutters’ Bay. After a Chinese cafe in Dixon Street installed a jukebox full of Cantonese songs, it became crowded with Chinese patrons. (This is an example of how ethnic minorities came to rely on jukeboxes to hear their own music, since radio stations would not play it.)

That year one John Stewart Porter moved from South Australia to Melbourne, Victoria. In May 1949 with capital of 25,000 pounds, Alfred Wilding and John Porter started a company called Wilding & Porter at 10 Victoria Street, Brunswick, Victoria to manufacture “wireless and kindred appliances” and “jukeboxes, radiograms and specialized furniture”. Their factory was very small and had a production line staff of only six people.

The new company’s first jukebox was called the Musicola M12/10. It had a laminated veneered timber cabinet 50” high, 37” wide and 20” deep, and weighed 310 pounds. The mechanism could be viewed through a perspex window. It held twelve 10 inch 78 RPM records in horizontal sliding trays and played only their top sides. It featured a lightweight pickup with a sapphire stylus feeding into an amplifier with four tubes that drove one 12” speaker. The mechanism is very similar to that designed by Carl Freborg and used in various 1930’s Seeburg Symphonola jukeboxes. Its primitive coin mechanism had no slug rejector and consisted only of an open metal chute having two coin contact fingers set at different heights. This jukebox could be bought for 420 pounds, but most were leased. One play could cost a customer either 3 pence or 6 pence.

In 1951 the company released a new model called the Musicola M12/10B. It contained the same mechanism as the previous model, but featured a new taller cabinet design, 60” high, 37.5” wide and 23” deep. This model was still in production in 1953.

In 1955 the company released another model, the Musicola M12/10C. The factory made only six M12/10C jukeboxes per month. This used a similar mechanism to the M12/10B, but had a much more attractive cabinet with colorful light-up perspex louvers, finished in a handsome wood veneer (possibly maple). The cabinet of the early version of the M12/10C is very similar to the 1951 Jensen J40 and the later J40A. Surprisingly, this model used a heavy magnetic pickup with a disposable steel needle that had to be replaced regularly by the site proprietor. The later version of this model contains fewer handmade mechanism parts. Also, it has a slightly different cabinet featuring two added fluorescent light boxes, one above the mechanism cover reading “Popular Hits” and one inset down the centre of the front grille reading “Musicola”. In later years some of these machines were converted to play 7” 45 RPM records by placing each 7” record on top of a 10” aluminum plate. By this time all selections now cost 6d.

The name given to the next model is unknown. For convenience, I shall refer to this jukebox and the mechanism it used as the M40/10. It had a cabinet very similar to the M12/10C but contained a different mechanism, very similar in layout to an early AMI G40 mechanism. It held twenty 10”* 78 RPM records in a vertical storage magazine resembling a toast rack and played both record sides. The major difference in layout between the Musicola arrangement and the contemporary AMI mechanism was that, instead of the turntable travelling alongside the record rack, the Musicola turntable remained stationary while the entire record rack moved to left or right. For a period the company manufactured both M12/10C and M40/10 jukeboxes, and a photograph taken in the factory not later than 1955 shows both models together awaiting shipment.

(* From the few available photographs it is hard to be sure that the M12/10 held 10” records, not 12” ones. However, since in Australia mainly classical music was released on 12” records, the 10” size seems the more likely one for this jukebox.)

From September 1954 onwards the company developed what they called a “Musicola - AMI” jukebox. In April 1955 the company experienced some difficulties. It’s possible that John Porter ended his association with the company shortly after this. The machine they referred to as the “Musicola - AMI” was probably a new model that would later be called the Musicola Mark II V100, not the M40/10 described above.

At a later date, probably at the end of 1955, Wilding & Porter released a radically new model called the Musicola Mark II V100. It had a very modern cabinet that stood on long wooden legs, with colorful backlit perspex louvers. The mechanism was mounted at the top, enclosed in a glass case. The new mechanism very similar in layout to the AMI G100 7” 45 RPM mechanism and it played both sides of fifty 7” 45 RPM records. In this Musicola mechanism the turntable, not the record rack, travelled and the mechanism had a plywood base rather than a cast metal base. It probably used an English Collaro turntable and tone arm. It’s not known how many of this model were made, or when production ceased. One source has stated that all the Mark II V100s were subsequently recalled by the manufacturer and destroyed. This may be true, but at least two are thought to have survived.

The story of Musicola jukeboxes probably ends there. The numbers made of each model are not known, but clearly far fewer were made than for most other brands of jukeboxes. Altogether, probably a total of twenty to thirty Musicolas of different models are thought to have survived.

If any reader can add further information to this very brief account, I would appreciate it. To add a personal note, I’ve owned an M12/10C for several years. I also have a workshop manual for the Musicola Mark II V100. So, if I ever find one, I’m ready for it! – HJH

The Musicola Jukeboxes – Specifications

Model & Years Made	Cabinet	Mechanism	Picture
M12/10 1949 (to 1950 or 1951?)	Polished laminated veneered timber with red enamel features. Clear perspex window in lid above mechanism. Name “Musicola” above selection buttons. Four vertical bars over speaker grille. 50” H x 37” W x 20” D Weight 310 pounds. Cost 420 Australian pounds. Play prices 3 pence and 6 pence.	12 selections. 10” x 78-RPM records. Plays top sides only. Sliding trays. The mechanism is very similar to that designed by Carl Freborg and used in various 1930’s Seeburg Symphonola jukeboxes. Lightweight magnetic pickup with sapphire stylus. Amplifier tubes: 5Y3, 6J7, 2 x 6V6. 12” speaker. No slug rejector. 230-240v 50 c/s supply.	xxxxx   xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
M12/10B 1951 to 1953 (at least)	Different to above. Gold painted laminated timber with red enamel features. Clear perspex window in lid above mechanism. Three vertical bars over speaker grille. 60” H x 37.5” W x 23” D. Play price 6 pence.	Same as above	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
M12/10C early version 1955?	Different to above. The cabinet is very similar to the 1951 Jensen J40 and the later J40A. Plywood cabinet with attractive (maple?) veneer. Lid above mechanism is quadrant bent clear perspex. Front sides perspex is amber. Behind lid are opaque white perspex louvers backlit with red/amber/green/blue light. At front are similar louvers backlit with amber/green/blue light. Selector button casting reads “One play 6d, Two plays 1/-”	Similar to above, but has a heavy tone arm with a magnetic pickup and uses disposable steel needles.	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNo picture available
M12/10C later version 1955	Similar to above, but the later version of this model has a slightly different cabinet featuring two added fluorescent light boxes, one above the mechanism cover reading “Popular Hits” and one inset down the centre of the front grille reading “Musicola”. Front perspex louvers are backlit red/amber/green/blue. Lid sides perspex is clear.	Similar to as above, but the mechanism main plates and some other parts were cast, whereas in the early model these were fabricated.	xxxx
M40/10 1955	Similar to above, but has a larger selector button casting that reads “Current popular hits”, “Classical & old favourites” and “Make selections after depositing coins”. (* From the few available photographs it is hard to be sure that the M12/10 held 10” records. However, since in Australia mainly classical music was released on 12” records, the 10” size seems the most likely.)	40 selections. 10”* x 78-RPM records. Plays both sides. Has “toast rack” record storage. Rack travels, turntable is fixed. Has a credit unit. Probably uses an English Collaro turntable and pickup arm with a crystal cartridge. Amplifier tubes: 5Y3, 6J7, 2 x 6V6. 12” speaker. No slug rejector. 230-240v 50 c/s supply.	xx   x
Musicola Mark II V100 1955?	Radically different 1950s styled cabinet standing on angled wooden legs. Uses metal, wood, perspex and laminex (Formica). Rectangular metal and glass cabinet around mechanism. Has name “Musicola” on cabinet and “Stereophonic” above mechanism. Backlit white perspex louvers at front corners, in front of speakers. 61” H x 36” W x 30” D. Weight 360 lbs. Play prices 6d and 1 shilling. Has a simple coin rejection mechanism.	100 selections. Fifty 7” x 45-RPM records. Can be converted to play all at 33 1/3 RPM. Plays both sides. Has a credit unit. Uses “toast rack” record storage. Turntable travels, rack is fixed. Design very similar to AMI G40 mechanism, but base is plywood, not a metal casting, and carriage motor is below base. Probably uses an English Collaro turntable and pickup arm. Uses a Ronette crystal cartridge with optional crystal, sapphire or diamond stylus. Sound system: Stereo Hi-Fi. Two 12-watt channels into two 12” Rola speakers. Amplifier tubes: 4 x 6BQ5, 2 x 6AN8 and 1 x 12AU7. Simple slug rejector. 230-240v 50 c/s supply.	xxx xxx xxxxxx

Attributions:

This article was first published in June 2000 in Always Jukin' Magazine #173. Further notes, details, photographs and illustrations have since been added. Article last updated on 27 March 2006.

Archive Materials:

The following photos and illustrations have been placed in the Danish Jukebox Archives, c/o Gert J. Almind, Johs. Jensensvej 6 DK-7470
Karup J. Denmark. E-mail to: info@juke-box.dk.

Update May 2010: Many of these images can now be viewed at The Musicola Jukebox website: www.musicolajukeboxes.com.au.

Photos and illustrations:

Musicola M12/10 1949 Front view

Musicola M12/10B 1951 (early model)

Front view

Musicola M12/10B 1951 (later model)

Front view

Rear view

Mechanism, front view

Mechanism, back view

Mechanism, side view

Mechanisms on test at factory

Musicola M12/10C 1955 Front view

Amplifier

Musicola M40/10 and M12/10C Jukeboxes awaiting completion and shipping at factory

Musicola M40/10 1955 Front view

Rear view

Mechanism

Musicola Mark II V100 1955? Front elevation

end

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