The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

The push button record file is the most interesting part of that Columbia, but it looks as if someone well and truly wrecked it - possibly something got stuck in it, or maybe it was just idle curiosity.

the cabinet on the silvertone is solid, the biggest problem with the columbia is the doors, the rest of the cabinet seems ok, im not offended by any comments i appreciate them all kinda looking for opinions, i figured if they have to get parted out better me than the guy that had them and likely would have gone to the burn pile, ...is the silvertone more desirable than the columbia?

Which is more desireable of the two ?

Ask any ten folks, you'll probably get twelve opinions...

Personally, I find the Silvertone interesting, mostly in that it really seems to be a Victrola-clone...


The Columbia is neat because it is different than Victor, with the "tone-louvres" and the push-button record ejectors...


After 35+ year of collecting, I'm looking more and more away from Victor, and more towards "off-brands" and interesting cabinets...


What kind of wood is the Silvertone veneered in ?

It seems to be hard to go wrong with oak... which also seems to tolerate the years better than "piano-finish" red mahogany...


At this point, I'd say the more "desirable machine" would be "the one which needs the least work"... missing / broken parts can be scrounged... cabinet work is really time-consuming to do it right...

Kind of a judgement call on your point... ?

Yes, its oak


What kind of wood is the Silvertone veneered in ?

It seems to be hard to go wrong with oak... which also seems to tolerate the years better than "piano-finish" red mahogany...


At this point, I'd say the more "desirable machine" would be "the one which needs the least work"... missing / broken parts can be scrounged... cabinet work is really time-consuming to do it right...

Kind of a judgement call on your point... ?

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this is a follow up to this thread, i decided to do what i could for these machines, this is how the silvertone turned out, i had no grill so i made my own with my initials until i find something i like, it plays great