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Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 7:51 pm
by Hyperion
What do you all think of this machine? It looks like a Columbia BI Sterling, but:
1. It has a wooden horn. All the BI's I've ever seen have that beautiful nickel-plated flower petal horn. I assume Columbia offered a wooden horn upgrade for this machine, but as far as I've seen nobody ever took them up on it. Is this a Music Master horn? If not, who made it? Are BI's with wooden horns more common than I realize?
2. It doesn't have a handle.
3. It has both the "The Columbia Graphophone" banner decal AND the later "Columbia Graphophone" disc-machine shaped decal. No :"Exposition" decal.
4. It has the circular knob thing on the end of the tone arm behind the reproducer. (What IS that?)
My BI has the handle, a "The Columbia Disc Graphophone" decal and n "Exposition" decal. Which machine, do you think, is older? And how much would you guess the one with the wooden horn is worth, given its condition? I assume the motor needs work and the reproducer needs a rebuild.
Thanks everyone.
Re: Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 7:57 pm
by Jerry B.
Looks like a potentially nice Col BI with a Music Master horn. The BI was made for a number of years and it's a late one.
It has the circular knob thing on the end of the tone arm behind the reproducer. (What IS that?)
That's a volume control. It looks like it is at a sale. Did you buy it?
Jerry Blais
Re: Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:00 pm
by startgroove
That looks like a Music Master Horn to me. I've a couple of Columbia's with the MM horns, but I have no idea if they were a factory option or after market. The knurled knob at the reproducer end is a volume control. One of ours has a "Grand Prize" decal on the front and a handle on the left side. The other one has the "Grand Prize" decal on the left side and the banner style Columbia Disc Graphophone on the front. Cheers, Russie
Re: Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:05 pm
by Django
If you go to the Archives, Columbia, #142, you will see a BI of the same vintage, (same decals, no handle, etc. ). The wooden horn on mine was a factory option. The machine that you show appears to have a Music Master horn, (very nice). The knob on the tone arm is a mute for volume. My BI never had a handle either. They are good players and in my opinion, at least as nice as a Victor III.
Re: Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:08 pm
by Django
I should type faster. There were no answers when I started.
Re: Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:11 pm
by Phonofreak
You have a late Columbia BI. See comments next to yours,
Harvey Kravitz
Hyperion wrote:What do you all think of this machine? It looks like a Columbia BI Sterling, but:
1. It has a wooden horn. All the BI's I've ever seen have that beautiful nickel-plated flower petal horn. I assume Columbia offered a wooden horn upgrade for this machine, but as far as I've seen nobody ever took them up on it. Is this a Music Master horn? If not, who made it? Are BI's with wooden horns more common than I realize? This was an upgrade.
HK The horn is a Music Master one, as an upgrade.
2. It doesn't have a handle
HK The late machines didn't have a handle.
3. It has both the "The Columbia Graphophone" banner decal AND the later "Columbia Graphophone" disc-machine shaped decal. No :"Exposition" decal.
HK The late machines had both decals.
4. It has the circular knob thing on the end of the tone arm behind the reproducer. (What IS that?)
HK The round thing behind the reproducer is a Dolcher volume control.
My BI has the handle, a "The Columbia Disc Graphophone" decal and n "Exposition" decal. Which machine, do you think, is older? And how much would you guess the one with the wooden horn is worth, given its condition? I assume the motor needs work and the reproducer needs a rebuild.
HK Your machine with the handle and "The Columbia Disc Graphophone" decal and an "Exposition" decal is the earlier one.
Thanks everyone.
Re: Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:33 pm
by startgroove
Is that a console radio in the background of the first picture? Might be an early Zenith. Russie
Re: Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:43 pm
by Hyperion
Thanks, everyone. It was at an auction I went to a couple of weeks ago. I went for a radio (that's not it in the picture), and saw this there. I dropped out after $500 (which would have been $600 after buyer's premium and taxes). Can't remember what it went for. How high would you have gone if you were me?
As I said, I already have a nice BI with the nickel horn (which I love), so I didn't mind walking away from this one. I also have a Victor V with an oak spear point horn, and an Edison Standard D with a wooden Music Master cygnet, so it wouldn't have been my first wooden horn machine. Still, I can't help but wonder...
How long did Columbia make the BI? I know they introduced a BII model in 1909.
Re: Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 12:09 pm
by startgroove
According to "Columbia Phonograph Companion, Vol II", the two spring BI was available from 1905 to 1908.
Re: Unusual Columbia BI Sterling
Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2019 7:10 pm
by Indestructible
How fun to stumble across that nice Columbia. I would of been all over that. I love the BI that I have. Very cool to have a Music Master horn.