The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Ladies! Gentlemen!

What Columbia model is this?
It apperars to me a "crossing" by a Columbia and an HMV 130.

Frankenphone?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byZwS_Al-Ho[/youtube]

The base of the cabinet is too tall to be that of an HMV 130, and it doesn't have the two carved pieces at the right and left top corners.

Internally, the two needle pots are side by side, on the 130, they aren't, so I dont think it's a made-up job. Maybe meant to have doors, and someone has copied a 130 grille?

I sure wish people wouldn't play those 1950's era records on a mica-soundbox machine.

It looks as if the needle isn't at a right angle to the record. Does this matter? I'd have thought it would matter.

Re playing 1950s records, you probably shouldn't play them on any acoustic machine, but in my very limited experience, they sound better on my HMV 101 (with a mica sound box) than they do on my 102. They're far too loud on the 102.

Phono48 wrote:The base of the cabinet is too tall to be that of an HMV 130, and it doesn't have the two carved pieces at the right and left top corners.

Internally, the two needle pots are side by side, on the 130, they aren't, so I dont think it's a made-up job. Maybe meant to have doors, and someone has copied a 130 grille?

If this is or was a Columbia, it would originally have had adjustable louvres over the horn aperture rather than doors.

I reckon it's a Franken-crap-o-phone. Note the Columbia portable winding handle, flowery escutcheon, hand-made grille, Garrard motor etc?