Gold Plated Columbia Q

[ColoradoPhonograf]

I thought I would share these photos. I was with a fellow collector at an auction about 10 years ago. There was a simple Columbia Q up for sale but it had most of the nickel plating missing or peeling. He bought it and soon thereafter sent all the pieces except the lead weights off to have gold plated in 24k gold (at a cost of $1200). He reassembled it on top of one of Aaron Cramer's reproduction bases. His collection was well rounded but he always has a fascination for the variations of the Columbia Q machines. This was an over the top restoration which he enjoyed til his death. Of all the machines in his collection this was the only one which the family retained. A good friend and fellow collector, I was thinking about him tonight nearing the anniversary of his death. And yes, after the applied gold plating on all of the gears and mechanical movements, it still played properly.

Keep rolling "7's" my friend,

ColoradoPhonograf

[Aaron]

Very cool! I have seen a few machines gold plated because they were in need of restoration and they wanted a eye popper. This one is very nice.

Aaron