The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Yes. I own an Extremly rare metal body phonograph from 1914 called the Columbia Europa. It was Made for a short period of time between April and August of 1914 but discontinued in August because of the First World War that broke out in Europe. Most of the very few made were scrapped for their metal and now there are very few surviving today. It originally cost $3.00 when new. The problem is the cheap little motor in it that has pretty much worn its self out so now it runs like a lawn mower and has lots of wow and flutter in speed. I could fix it by machining new gears for it but I don't have the ability to.

Which Berliner Trademark model do you prefer, the American or the Canadian version? (Actually the one made in Canada was the type A and the American one was the improved gramophone.)

Being from Canada I would say the Canadian Berliner. But I would never turn down the American version to add to my collection.

What is the top price you would pay to get the phonograph you want the most? You don't have to specify the machine, only the top price you would pay.

A daunting question, at the least. And one which I will not assign a specific number to. Let's just put it this way...when I pursue something, I do not do so with the intent of simply being a spectator.

How would you prefer to be remembered in phonograph lore, in other words...what will be your legacy?

How would you prefer to be remembered in phonograph lore, in other words...what will be your legacy?

Did he restore that, or did it always look that well kept?

Have you ever bought a phonograph because it was inexpensive or whatever, in other words, something that you would never buy as a rule, but did anyway and then have it really become one of your favorite machines?

Someone offered me a barn find one time and he said he needed the money to feed his family. I could not refuse. When I opened the box I was sort of shocked th see this big ball of dirt and dust. When I started to clean it up I realized that what I thought was dirt and dust was actually wax shavings and dust that completely covered the entire machine. When I finished cleaning off all the wax I was shocked to see who's the wax had preserved the machine, both the wood and the metal. Here is what I ended up with, what I think is a beautiful Edison Business Shaver with the optional electric upgrade. I love it and use it all the time. It shaves brown wax cylinders to a mirror finish.


What was your best barn find?

On behalf of my late father: $40 treadle machine in a chicken coop if that counts. What would you like to happen to your collection when you're gone (a very, very long time from now!)?

Either to a new generation of collectors or a museum.
What was your first machine and do you still have it? Mine is my little Columbia portable.

My Amberola 30: a birthday present when I was in my teens, and the survivor of several restoration attempts.

Here it is, in a recent upload:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2j30r ... anjo_music

What was your most serendipitous discovery - (machine or record)?

Bill

A Zonophone record of battle sounds from WWI (fake sounds, of course). I received a broken one with a bulk purchase and thought it was just impossible to find another, but then just few days later an intact copy has been proposed to me by a used records shopkeeper!

Which gramophone you would really like to own but know you will never be able to put your hands on?

A German coin-op automatic gramophone of 1891.

Do you regroup your machines at certain intervals?