Mechanical Metronome for Guitar Practice?

[OneWatt]

I would like to buy a mechanical/windup/old school metronome as a practical home ornament for my music corner in the future.

I don't mind forking out a bit of dough if it looks and sounds nice. Mostly, I use a metronome on my phone but it would be fun to have a traditional one around on a shelf somewhere next to music books.

What manufacturers and models should I look out for? Can circa 100 € get me something that can be displayed and is not too plastic-y?

Edit: ah, I hit the post thread button before getting rid of the hyphen.

Well, since you ask, there's nothing quite like that classy elegant look of a wooden Wittner (sorry I can't easily rotate pics; please tilt head) ...

[gggguitar]

Those classic metronomes look nice but I've personally never used one that actually kept decent time. There might be good ones out there that I've never tried of course. This might be slightly not what you are looking for but for classic looks, good time and makes a good and useful sound then pick up a vintage Franz metronome. The kind that you plug into the wall and has that orange diamond light that flashes on top. Black bakelite or wood. They haven't made them in years but used ones are still affordable. I bought mine on ebay something like fifteen years ago and I use it all the time. Best $40 I ever spent.

[joelf]

Franz. Gotta be a reason they've been used for 100+ years (I'm guessing)...

[joelf]

Just ordered a classic plug-in, light on top Franz. $30 and change on ebay.

Thanks to the OP for reminding me...

[Cunamara]

Those classic metronomes look nice but I've personally never used one that actually kept decent time.

For years I thought my sense of time was just that bad, like I was time deaf instead of tone deaf. I would hear the metro-gnome as if it was speeding up, and slowing down, etc. This is a budget plastic Wittner. Then when I got an electronic metro-gnome and compared them, I found out that the d****d thing really WAS speeding up and slowing down!

[Litterick]

Somebody stole mine. It was lovely: brushed aluminium with a perspex window. It would fit in the palm of my hand.

If you realise your dream of a mechanical metronome, watch out for thieves.

I learned today that the two voices on the annoying novelty record Gimme Dat Ding (Number One in New Zealand, 1970) represent a piano and a metronome; the singer of the metronome part was interviewed on the radio this morning.

[joelf]

Bless the basics. Maybe out of fashion, never out of stock...

[Flat]

I bought an old wooden Wittner on eBay a few years back for $40. It's got that old-school vibe and sound I was after.

But yeah, it swings heavier than I do.

[wintermoon]

A friend just gave me an old wooden Wittner in beautiful shape, much cooler than the old plastic one I have, just need to get a key.

[cosmic gumbo]

[Squeezebox]

Wittner and Franz seem like good starting points, thanks! Buying used would be an idea too.

If it were mostly for decoration, I'm not sure the model and manufacturer are that important ...

I would like to buy something that is useful as a normal metronome as well, not just looks. Altho I concede that there are more practical metronomes out there. Plus I just ordered the Barry Galbraith Bach inventions book, I am pretty sure it´s illegal to practice those without a classy wooden metronome.

[patshep]

i have two of them, but i use my iphone, free app, adjust volume easily... always easy to find

[rpjazzguitar]

Phone app, Time Guru.

It allows you to specify a percentage of beats to randomly silence. That's good for making sure you're keeping time in your head and not using the metronome for that.

Also, has tap tempo, which you don't get with a mechanical metronome.

I do think that mechanical metronomes have some sort of classic beauty, connecting us to our forebears in music. If I had a grand piano in a huge living room, which I don't, I'd have a classic metronome on it as a work of art.