What model is this Grafonola?

[GoCOOGS!]

Hello everyone! I picked up this Grafonola at a Christian resale shop yesterday for $60. It’s in pretty good shape for being a wild find. I’m in the Houston area and the humidity wreaks havoc on phonographs. The finish has gatoring but very few scuffs although there are some wood gouges from it being moved improperly, nothing horrible though. The pot metal tone arm was very stiff but I did manage to take it apart and sand the joints so it moves freely, should I add some lubricant? Can anyone tell me what model it is? The reproducer is ugly and I’d like to find one that’s in cleaner condition. There’s a bunch of pitting on it and the gold finish is almost completely gone. The machine runs but I need to service it. The mainsprings sound dry.

As for the finish, I’m going to take a stab at re-amalgamating it. Does anyone recommend a specific brand of denatured alcohol?

This is my first Columbia floor model and I’m excited to get her back up and running.

[Couch Potato]

That's a pretty nice cabinet. I'd clean it with Gojo (non pumice) with 0000 steel wool and see what it looks like after that. I'd recommend do as little as possible to it.

Denatured alcohol is just that so I don't think think there is any difference in what brand you get. Usually Home Depot and Lowes just have it in quart containers in the paint section (the last time it I bought some it was just labeled "fuel"). If you really want to reamalgamate it and you have never done that before I'd recommend practice on some other piece of junk furniture that has more or less the same finish or do a little test area on the back. It could go well and it could not go well.

I keep try to remind myself to leave well enough alone and that cabinet looks well enough and original. It not so easy to match the original still pristine finish that you have on the inside which of course hints how fabulous it was when brand new. Your milage may vary.

[phonogfp]

I believe that's a Grafonola Mignonette.

George P.

[Benjamin_L]

I believe it's a Model 150 and not the Mignonette. I currently can't find my Baumbach Columbia book, so I fell down a rabbit hole of Talking Machine World ads. This might be a little much, but bear with me.

The Mignonette was introduced in 1911.

The design was updated in 1913.

Mignonette2.png (428.2 KiB) Viewed 698 times

In late 1914, the design was changed again—from the large single drop-down door to traditional doors—when Columbia introduced their push-button record ejector.

Mignonette3.png (305.26 KiB) Viewed 698 times

In late 1915 or early 1916, Columbia began identifying their models with numbers instead of names, introducing the 100, 110, 150, and 200.

Based on the trim and size, I believe it's a 150, putting it right around 1916–1917

[Benjamin_L]

On second guess, it's probably the 200 instead of the 150 based on the louvers.

The 150 having 4 louvers with the 200 having 5. It just doesn't look large enough to be the 200, as the 150 was almost identical, just being a little smaller.

[GoCOOGS!]

Wow thanks for the info!!!

[Benjamin_L]

Wow thanks for the info!!!

Sorry for the back and forth, as it's hard to judge the size from the photos. The 200 was a bit bigger than the 150 but it just doesn't look big enough, but it has the five louvers.