The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here's some motor pictures, and also looking down from the opening for the motor, you can kind of see how those two horns are stacked up on each other. Those horns are really kind of a strange set-up. I had a friend of mine over today that's collected phonographs a lot longer than me, and he was pretty impressed with how it sounds. It's louder than he expected it to be, but it's also in kind of a small room with a hard floor.

I just got the reproducer to my 800 I found last fall back from rebuilding. I have to say I owned one many years ago of the 810 model and I rebuilt it my self. I think the one now has a bit of high end metallic sound which I don't recall hearing on my 810 I owned. The ones I looked at on you tube however also seem to display a high end with a metallic sound. The horn in yours is much different from mine and it is different from the original 810 in design. They must have kept changing it for some reason. As for the basic sound qualities I had a Credenza at the same point of time and thought they were fairly close but the 810 had a sound which I found a bit richer in tone an not as prone to raspy sound. This 800 can sound rather wonderful on subtle playing an has rather good base. Its the high end that I am not quite satisfied with. For some reason I don't think the reproducer is putting out quite the sound that my earlier on had.. Maybe its because the new one had to go in the basement for now which is quite large and of course hard, so it might sound much different on wood floors in smaller enclosures. My Chippendale Edison sounds quite good in that same space. As good as some edisons may be I found my self thinking how quiet the surface is on the columbia and their records. And its no comparison on some of the earlier Electrically recorded pop pieces as to the depth of sound. The projection always seems to be where Edison had a one up. The realism of the instrument carries better on edison than other machines on many records to my ear.

When I first got it the auto stop seemed to work, although I only tired it a couple times since the reproducer was broken so no use trying to listen to it.. The motor is the one with the break as part of the motor and not a leather pad.. For some reason the trip lever that should stop the record just pushes out of the way? Maybe I have oil on it that shouldn't be there? Is there any on line manual for repairs to those that any one knows of, also the reproducer adjustments?

I seems from the way the horn is make in your cabinet from the rear that though its an 800 model it may not be as wide or large as the 800? My 800 way outweighs any credenza also.

Its a great looking machine and look forward to hearing how it turns out.

Larry

Larry, I had the same trouble with my 800 motor. I could not get it to speed up or down. My mechanic worked on it and found out the problem. Some previous tinkerer had removed the essential eccentric bolt and screwed it in as a hold down bolt, and then used a hold down bolt and screwed it in where the eccentric bolt should have gone!

It looks like you have a superior Garrard motor in your 820! They are supposed to be great motors!
https://www.google.com/search?q=Garrar ... JNdS0QM%3A

I sold my Creadenza and kept my 810 Columbia. If you thought the Creadenza was heavy you don't want to move these. The only problem I had with mine was resealing the wax in the joints of the horn. Easy to do but time consuming but the sound improvement was worth it.

From the 1927 catalogue of G.A.Bryan Limited, a leading British supplier of gramophone components :

This machine is heavy, but not as heavy as a Credenza. I can weigh it when I get a little further along with it. It may be smaller than the earlier machines are as well. This weekend I can post the measurements of it. I just don't have time tonight. I did have some interest in what the horn looks like, so I did post another video of it playing a song and I did move the lamp some so you can see a little better up in the thing. I think this shows it off fairly well, but some of you might have other ideas on that one. Thanks though for all your interest in this thing. I really know almost nothing about Columbia machines and this is the first one I've owned in my life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RF_3svEa9s

Great video Mr. Nut! Can you tell me what group is singing and on what record label? I love that song! your machine sounds great even now! Marc. p.s. - I guess we have similar tastes. I'm picking up my Edison C-2 from Jerry at the APS show this Saturday! Formerly owned by Chuck Azzalina.

marcapra wrote:Great video Mr. Nut! Can you tell me what group is singing and on what record label? I love that song! your machine sounds great even now! Marc. p.s. - I guess we have similar tastes. I'm picking up my Edison C-2 from Jerry at the APS show this Saturday! Formerly owned by Chuck Azzalina.

You'll have a lot of fun with that Edison. That record is a Columbia label. I'll find the record back and get the rest of the information. Here's a comparison video if you want to hear what that same record sounds like on the C-2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htktjxrTUWA

Well, good luck picking up your Edison today. That leg base is weak at best on those things, so don't drag it around too much. Haha! They are very heavy machines and hard to handle with those little legs. The one I have only had one solid glue joint holding that whole base together, and it's a wonder it didn't just self destruct setting in the guys garage!

That is a pretty luck find.It looks to be in great condition. I have been looking for one for some time and it has always eluded me. I have the sale brochure that I can send you a scan of if you like. I have always preferred the Columbia Viva-tonal Phonographs. I think that they are under rated in performance. At my high point I had the entire 800 and 900 Columbia line, except this machine. I still have my Columbia 810 and really love it.

Mark