The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Nope, no holes or any other sign of anything missing. And another commenter in this thread also has a 710 with no stop. When you look at Columbia's 1926 announcement for the release of the models that included the 710 there is no mention of a stop being included in the rather fully described features either.

I expect the ones with stops that have the identical cabinet are really 711s, the replacement model released the following year, but have yet to track down concrete data on that. Solid information on Columbias is a lot harder to come by than on Victors and Edisons, but I hope to eventually spot some contemporary ads that may shed more light. For example there has got to be an ad out there somewhere that bragged about what was new about the 711 in 1927.

Clay

I own a Columbia Viva tonal model 800, which is the less expensive unpainted walnut version of the 810. Mine does have the auto-stop, but I talked to an 800 owner in Florida and hers did not have the stop. So I think you're on to something there. It must be the early models came without the semi-automatic stops. Baumbach's Columbia Phonograph Companion vol. II doesn't not specify whether they had stops or not. there is also a model called the 711 and a 611. Don't know if there was an 811 that had a new motor made by Garrard, an English company. that is really a nice looking phonograph you have that is pure 1920s style!

One last postscript on my 710. When I first got it running the volume was pretty low and there was some harshness on loud passages. I had Wyatt Markus overhaul the reproducer for me. He fabricated some gaskets to replace the very hard ones on each side of the diaphragm. (The red isolator gasket in the back was still good.) The volume is now good and the harshness is now gone. Still does not have the base my Credenza puts out (and likely never did), but all in all it sounds pretty good.

Clay