The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I don't really know if this is a British machine or a frankenphone or even a American machine but I want to know what it is thanks.

I don't know what it is, the picture is rather small. But from what little I can see, it looks to be an internal horn tabletop that was converted to an external horn machine. If it's more than $50, stay away.

Thanks man yeah I'm gonna ask her how much and if it's more than $50.00 I'm gonna stay away

mattrx wrote:I don't know what it is, the picture is rather small. But from what little I can see, it looks to be an internal horn tabletop that was converted to an external horn machine. If it's more than $50, stay away.

No, The machine has a very late (1915-1916) Columbia rear-mount, with one of those embossed imported horns that Columbia at the time. It looks a lot like the 1915 "Royal" client machine. If the cabinet appears to be from an inside horn model, well that would be to be expected, as the Royal open horn and inside horn machines shared the same cabinet. These machines use a small "Pillar and plate" single-spring motor. Some are imported, others are early GI production. That turntable looks a mite suspicious. I would not be surpised if the machine had been re-motored at one time or another.

I would think that that horn elbow is worth a good deal, as is that embossed horn.

From what I can see, This is not a Columbia. The arm looks like a goose neck, and Columbia never had one on their horned machines. The Royal and others like it had a screw in elbow. Also, it had the one piece tone arm and reproducer with the bayonet fitting. It could be a legitimate horn machine, but hard to tell from the picture. If you can get it cheap, the horn and elbow would be worth it.
Harvey Kravitz

Phonofreak wrote:From what I can see, This is not a Columbia. The arm looks like a goose neck, and Columbia never had one on their horned machines. The Royal and others like it had a screw in elbow. Also, it had the one piece tone arm and reproducer with the bayonet fitting. It could be a legitimate horn machine, but hard to tell from the picture. If you can get it cheap, the horn and elbow would be worth it.
Harvey Kravitz

Yes. It appeared to be a columbia tone arm on my tablet, though the photo is pretty blurry, and the angle of the tone arm is such that identification is indeed problematic. I cannot seem to figure out how to enlarge the photo.