Don't come across these "combos" every day....

[FellowCollector]

Were these Raginas and Grafonola Deluxe phonographs more common in mahogany or oak? Seems like from the pictures I have seen that oak was more common for them at the time.

Myself as both a phonograph and disc music box collector I especially appreciated this thread! This appears to be a Regina model 240 and as you might suspect they're very desirable as they provide the owner with a delightful choice of music listening. This model and several other similar Regina combo models proved to be a bittersweet objective as they represented the swan song for the Regina Music Box Company. It was their last (and sadly, futile) attempt to maintain a market for their music boxes with the extremely popular phonographs and Victrolas consuming a vast majority of the mechanical music buying dollar. The sound is superb from the music box having all of the latest innovations that Regina could offer including the short bedplate design and variable speed motor.

The phonograph parts as many of you recognize were produced by Columbia so the sound is as good as one could expect from an inside horn Columbia Grafanola. As with floor model Victrolas, the oak versions of these later Reginaphones are MUCH more difficult to find than the mahogany versions. I suspect that it was felt that the more highly figured oak grains would not "blend" well with the more popular and subdued mahogany and cherry finished furniture that the public seemed to prefer. And, that coupled with the fact that oak was likely considered a more pedestrian or humble class of wood added fuel to the low production numbers. Today, of course, the opposite is true with most of us preferring that lovely oak grain that seems to blend in just about anywhere!

When I first found this particular machine almost a year ago while surfing the net I was excited to see that it was still available only to be deflated by the "call for the price" (translation: you better sit down before you call). Thanks for listening! Doug

[JohnM]

Yeah, you'd better be wearing your rubber underpants when buying from 'Bargainjohn'!

Just like in the phonograph world, where it is more unusual to find expensive models (a Victrola XVII for example) in oak; or, cheaper models in mahogany (like an Edison Gem) -- finding a top end Regina in oak is unusual because the choice of wood does not mesh with the financial demographic of the purchaser. Oak was not used to a great extent in 'good' American manufactured furniture until the 1890s. Before then, mahogany, walnut, cherry, and rosewood were used more frequently. Certain styles of furniture design tended to use certain woods more predominantly -- American Roccoco was typically rosewood, American Empire used mahogany, American Aesthetic Movement often featured cherry and maple Renaissance Revival used walnut, and Eastlake designs often favored oak. Of course, these are just rules of thumb and exceptions are frequent iin most cases. Again, oak did not begin to break out of it's more plebian role until the 1890s. Oak was the wood of choice for Arts & Crafts ('Mission') furniture because of the early influence of English designer William Morris who liked the 'proletariat' and medieval connotations of the material. Morris sought to replicate the brown/green hues of the oak beams in old barns that had turned that color after centuries of exposure to ammonia from animal urine by fuming his oak furniture with ammonia fumes. Of course, some A&C furniture is mahogany (and even redwood on West Coast) and other woods are used as accents, but oak is predominant in this alleged 'working man's' style. In the earliest years of the US, mahogany and rosewood -- which were imported -- was typically only used in cities that could be accessed by river and then, only used in furniture for the very rich. Oak, walnut, and other domestic woods began to gain in acceptance after the burst of national pride after the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition, but mahogany was still considered an upper-class wood well into the 20th C and even today (although real mahogany is virtually exhausted). So, for a person of means to want an oak Style 240 Reginaphone' at that date is rather unusual.

Sorry for rambling!

[OrthoFan]

I thought this was kind of interesting --

Reissner Patent

I take it, this would be the "Paul Reissner" mentioned in this article?

The Regina Music Box Company Photos and History

[SonnyPhono]

After reading this post I have been keeping an eye out for these. I know that it is debated whether to let everyone in on auctions, eBay, etc. but want to make sure this goes to a good home. Here is another combo coming up at an auction.

http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/photo ... kwd=edison

[barnettrp21122]

After reading this post I have been keeping an eye out for these. I know that it is debated whether to let everyone in on auctions, eBay, etc. but want to make sure this goes to a good home. Here is another combo coming up at an auction.

http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/photo ... kwd=edison

I notice the tone arm base is missing on the pictured machine, and no note of whether the other phonograph pieces are missing.
Bob

[estott]

The missing phonograph pieces don't surprise me. For years music box collectors looked at these as Music Boxes with pieces of junk attached to them that harmed the tone. There may have been a point- you have to be pretty careful when you're attaching that cast iron turntable- one slip and it can fall down and smash something delicate.