The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Maybe home made back in the day. The BC has a large diameter diaphragm and opening to the horn. The horn that it could effectively load could be, or should be, long and large. After all, the market that was aimed at for the BC was concert like performances in larger rooms. The high cost of the BC translated into unaffordability to the average income person, at a time when a less expensive Columbia or Edison would have been just as good. Or, possibly the BC had become obsolete and past its useful life as a concert tool, and so was reborn as a home phonograph. That horn "S" may have been an early adaptation that would take less space, at the sacrifice of volume. Russie

ChuckA wrote:Here's a Columbia BF I picked up a few months ago. It's an early unit (#5550) with one of the weight type Lyric reproducers and the unusual Edison #10 Cygnet horn. As far as I can tell the horn and bracket has been on the machine for a long time possibly since new.

The cabinet finish under the back bracket is smooth and original while the rest of the cabinet is dark and wrinkled probably
from being stored in a hot attic. I still have some cleanup to do on the case as there are lots of paint splatter.

And yes the artwork on the chassis is original.

BF-Cygnet.jpg

Chuck

Never heard of this model before. BTW a little off topic, I notice you have a Pilot TV-37 in the background. Is that the same pilot that made those really nice suitcase record players during the 1950s with the GE RPX cartridge and Garrard changer?

The BC that Chuck posted sports an aftermarket conversion. I have seen the machine and it has 2&4 minute conversion gearing. The reproducer has a flipover stylus similar to a Model-O. The mandrel is incised and has thick felt strips inlayed into it. Quite odd. Some company at the time must have offered this aftermarket conversion. Perhaps George Paul has some info on the company who produced this? Also, I had seen years ago a large style Edison reproducer (Model N,O,S top) that had a flipover stylus made exactly like the one on this BC.

I have no information on what individual or firm performed these interesting conversions to BC Graphophones, but here's another one - - complete with a clip-in grille.

George P.

George! I knew you would come up with something! But who was the company who offered these conversions?

I dunno!

George P.