The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Dear everyone,
I am an audiophile and my stuffs are of hi-fi. However I really love the look of antique gramophones and want to have a small collection. I just bought these two and join to the forum. Could anyone please let me know the maker and year of them.

Thank you very much for your help.

Napo

Both look a bit doubtful; but I'm pretty sure the second one is a Frankenphone (WOODEN back bracket?)

Bill

As a long time collector in the States I am not familiar with either one. I checked your profile to see where you might be located but no luck. To my eye they look like a marriage of parts. The round Grafonola tag came off a Columbia product. The term "Grafonola" generally refers to a Columbia disc machine with the horn built into the cabinet. There are exceptions to that rule like the Grafonola 60 and other very late horn machines. The wooden back bracket looks like something a skilled craftsman made to get a machine up and operational. The blue horn looks like a cylinder horn modified for use on a disc machine. What do others think?

Jerry B.

Hi,
Thank you very much for your input. I am in Montreal, Canada.
I open the Grafonola and take it inner picture of the mechanism.
The one with blue horn and wood braclet is very very heavy and I cannot open it yet.

I did a search with your keyword Grafonola and found this. It is very identical to mine.
It mentionned this is the latest model of Grafonola and has outside horn, in 1920.

Here is the link, identical image.
https://www.smartglobalsource.com/gramophones.html

The tonearm really looks like one from a later 20s Columbia portable.

I think it's a "frankophone", a mix of somewhat period parts crafted together to make a machine.

Benjamin_L wrote:The tonearm really looks like one from a later 20s Columbia portable.

I think it's a "frankophone", a mix of somewhat period parts crafted together to make a machine.

Here is my 100% original and genuine 1929 UK Columbia 2a Horn Model with Plano-Reflex tonearm and No.9 soundbox.

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... +2a#p90209

Lucius1958 wrote:Both look a bit doubtful; but I'm pretty sure the second one is a Frankenphone (WOODEN back bracket?)

Bill

And the cabinet looks to be brand new - though attractive. I think this may be the work of a skillful hobbyist who had no intention to fool anyone.

Here is my 100% original and genuine 1929 UK Columbia 2a Horn Model with Plano-Reflex tonearm and No.9 soundbox.

Epigramophone, thanks for the link. It removes doubt regarding that very unusual machine. Jerry B.