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Firebottles on EBay is selling a homemade cylinder phonograph - WOW

I used to think that newly made phonographs were just crapophones or frankenphones, but this just changed my opinion. Wow indeed! The craftsmanship is very impressive. Does it actually work properly? Do you have a link to the listing?

-Steve

(Retracted)

Rich Gordon

There will be a huge range of opinions on this machine. It looks to me like it was made early in the 20th Century. For that reason it would be welcome in my collection. Am I wrong about the age? Jerry Blais

You're wrong, Rich. The phonograph is ancient. I've got it sitting in front of me, and I've seen enough old phonographs and newly created frankenphones to be able to tell the difference between the two. I wouldn't represent a frankenphone as an antique, just as you wouldn't. So please give me the benefit of the doubt, just as I'd give it to you. I appreciate the consideration.

best,
Grant (firebottles)

rgordon939 wrote:I'm sorry, but to me it is just another frankenphone. It's just a bunch of parts put together in a newly made cabinet just like all other frankenphones. Firebottles sells such nice machines I don't understand why he would do this. Just my opinion.

Rich Gordon

What a blissfully uninformed opinion!


Fire bottles purchased this machine at an auction. I was the under bidder, and had examined this machine in excruciating detail. It is old, dating to the late 'Nineties or perhaps the early 'Oughts. The reproducers and recorder are beautifully made out of what appears to be pear wood, threaded just like an early Columbia floating reproducer. The clockwork motor is a thing of beauty. The wheels are cut from heavy brass with epi teeth, as one would find on a Connectitut clock. In fact the entire construction of the motor is along the lines of a heavy striking train. The very large spring, which appears to be 1 ⅞ or 2 inches wide is enclosed in a large brass barrel.

While the machine follows the general outline of an early Columbia Graphophone every individual component is of original design. This machine resided in a prominent collection for nearly fifty years before it was offerred at Stanton's, so it does indeed have a history; a long one at that.

It is indeed a shame that there have been so many fakes and marriages offerred that we as collectors are now inclined to assume that any unique item is a fraud. Rather like the folks who accuse every "Swissie" gramophone of singing the Song of India, simply because THEY have never yet seen one.

This is a striking and absolutly unique machine, of great age, probably dating to just this side of the mid-nineties. The level of craftsmanship possessed by its maker is almost beyond belief, and I have regretted my parsimonious soul since the hammer went down and the machine was sold.

I think this is already posted in the CL & Ebay section... .
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 14&t=24515

Grant, please accept my apology. I thought this was a recently made machine. Now that I went back and read the posting on eBay I realize I was wrong. Again, please accept my apology.

Rich Gordon

Probably plays with hens teeth too.

I wonder if this horn is the original? It could have had a european style horn possibly, hence the crank being on the left side. Maybe a Hunting Horn, which would probably look very cool on this.

rgordon939 wrote:Grant, please accept my apology. I thought this was a recently made machine. Now that I went back and read the posting on eBay I realize I was wrong. Again, please accept my apology.

Rich Gordon

Cheerfully accepted. Thank you, Rich.

Grant