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Hello guys, please tell me if this is an original machine or a frankenphone. Please let me know ASAP, here are some pictures. Thanks.

Franken/crapophone! Run away... quickly.

Are you sure that this is a fake, because it looks like a swiss-german gramophone to me and for $360 dollars I don't want to miss the opportunity, but if is a fake I don't want to lose my money either.

It's certainly not a Crapophone!

BUT, it isn't an untouched genuine horn machine either. Look at the end of the tone-arm and how it joins to the soundbox. That is a botch job. Also the elbow looks a bit dodgy. The horn is a genuine period piece in great condition, as is the soundbox, tone-arm and back-bracket. There has been a brake or something removed from the motor board at some point. Without studying it up close in the flesh it's hard to say with the rest of it. The pictures are not exactly revealing. It might have been re-motored, you can't tell from the pictures.

I would say for the money you can't really go wrong but YMMV.

I think this question should receive a more appropriate answer in the "European Machines" section.

However, this is definitely not a "crapophone" in strict terms as it is made of genuine parts. But the case doesn't look original IMHO, or it has been so heavily sanded that it looks like a brandless replica, although pretty well made. Also, the conservation status of the horn looks way different than that of the arm and soundbox and is suspicious as well. I cant' exclude it being a frankenphone, made with a mix & match of parts.

In few words: I wouldn't purchase it and would rather look for an entry-level BRANDED gramophone with a well known and documented history. You don't live in Europe where these items are so rare: there are many at very affordable prices in America.

Marco Gilardetti wrote:I think this question should receive a more appropriate answer in the "European Machines" section.

You think?

Well... not really, if so many folks from Europe are "crossing" here to reply!

I meant that this is supposedly a Swiss machine, so it should go there. At least in theory.

In my opinion its been recently assembled from various original bits - the sides of the case look suspiciously new.
I'm sure you can find something better for $360 - here in the UK it would be worth somewhere around that but machines seem much more plentiful in the US - just look at those recent Stantons prices.

Regards
Steve

Steve wrote:There has been a brake or something removed from the motor board at some point.

Correct: the brake and the speed regulator as well. It also was on the top board initially.

As a minimum the motor board and the inner part of the case should be inspected for extra holes or any other evidence of tampering. The brake is not flush with the motor board, looks installed on a gap filler. This is not usual and may indicate a replaced motor.

The problem with such unbranded machines is that, even if one would look perfectly genuine, nobody could really be sure, as there is no reference to compare with.