What is it???? Real or Frankenphone?

[Sidewinder]

It seems too perfect... Nothing ugly or damaged... Looks suspicious to me, and the arty Nouveau case could be an AI invention

IT HAS A COLUMBIA MOTOR! A Phrynis should have a Phrynis motor

[Homestead]

Ok here is the listing https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/ ... 23e58900d6 Also here is another photo.....Really a beautiful art noveau style phongraph

[Inigo]

The more I see it the more horrible it seems to me. Columbia motor plate with inadequate motor or turntable, as the spindle length is too short. The HMV 5A soundbox completely inadequate. The tonearm and support bracket seem inadequate, somewhat scanted to one side. The horn seems to be made from real wood, and I believe Phrynis horns were made of metal. The case with good to see the motor inside... What motor? It seems not proportioned or the motor inside is too small and cannot be seen through the glass windows... I see an empty case!

[CarlosV]

Ok here is the listing

The photos show that the horn is made of wood, so not a Phrynis but a quite nice imitation. A genuine Frankenphone, and a well-made one.

[Steve]

Ok here is the listing

The photos show that the horn is made of wood, so not a Phrynis but a quite nice imitation. A genuine Frankenphone, and a well-made one.

Are we 100% certain the horn is wood? The resolution of the photo is quite low and certainly I cannot tell for certain on my screen. Why would anyone make a wooden horn to match a rare Phrynis style (unknown to most people) uniquely shaped metal horn? But I'm looking at the photos and I can see what appears to be a bent edge to one of the horn "petals". If my eyes aren't playing tricks with me (or my PC screen for that matter), I'm not aware you can bend a strip of thin timber that sharply without snapping it?

Either way, it's a real curio and as you say, a lot more impressive than 99% of Crapophones. As a Frankenphone, the horn (and possibly the cabinet) might be unique but as Inigo says, why have bevelled glass sides if your motor is a tiny Columbia Garrard type? I'm guessing no one will buy it.

I was tempted to say the "wood graining" is quite impressive if it's a metal horn but if it is a wooden horn, the finish is rubbish. Instead of allowing the dye / seal to bring out the natural grain of the timber, they've made the finish blotchy and uneven which has hidden it.

[Sidewinder]

Ok here is the listing

The photos show that the horn is made of wood, so not a Phrynis but a quite nice imitation. A genuine Frankenphone, and a well-made one.

Are we 100% certain the horn is wood? The resolution of the photo is quite low and certainly I cannot tell for certain on my screen. Why would anyone make a wooden horn to match a rare Phrynis style (unknown to most people) uniquely shaped metal horn? But I'm looking at the photos and I can see what appears to be a bent edge to one of the horn "petals". If my eyes aren't playing tricks with me (or my PC screen for that matter), I'm not aware you can bend a strip of thin timber that sharply without snapping it?

Either way, it's a real curio and as you say, a lot more impressive than 99% of Crapophones. As a Frankenphone, the horn (and possibly the cabinet) might be unique but as Inigo says, why have bevelled glass sides if your motor is a tiny Columbia Garrard type? I'm guessing no one will buy it.

I was tempted to say the "wood graining" is quite impressive if it's a metal horn but if it is a wooden horn, the finish is rubbish. Instead of allowing the dye / seal to bring out the natural grain of the timber, they've made the finish blotchy and uneven which has hidden it.

The devil in the details:

clearly wood . However on closer inspection, residue of white wood glue near the neck of the horn is not a positive feature

[Steve]

So it's falling apart already!

[CarlosV]

So it's falling apart already!

As Steve mentioned, why someone would make a wood imitation of a Phrynis horn and put it in a non-Phrynis machine? There was a Spanish dealer called Manus Manus that made such re-creations in the 50s, mixing genuine parts with new bespoken horn and case designs, and his machines still confound contemporary collectors. Maybe this is one of his creations or of a follower.

[VanEpsFan1914]

It might be newer but it's still interesting. I would bid on it mostly as a piece of interesting craftsmanship, which it is, rather than as an antique gramophone, which it probably isn't.

[Mormon S]

One thing I have learned about European machines over the years is to never discount something because you have never seen it before, though unless you can find real evidence of its legitimacy, its hard to justify spending too much on it. It would be pretty odd for someone to go through the effort of imitating a phrynis horn out of wood, perhaps it could be original. It is common to find machines re-motored, though the biggest red flag for me is that there is no second hole for a crank in a different location. What are the odds that a different, and much later motor would have the crank in the same position as the original?