The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I'm considering making the longish trek to look at this machine, but I don't know what it is. The seller clearly is clueless about it, as it's advertised as an Edison Standard....which I know it's NOT. Unfortunately, this crummy pic is all the seller can provide me at the moment... Can it be discerned from the pic whether it's a legit machine, a crapophone or a franken? Thanks in advance!

It is a Standard A phonograph. It has a larger center hole spindle. The horn looks repainted. It is worth checking out depending on the asking price.

Is the turntable correct? I'm not familiar with the Standard A, but I have a Columbia BN Disc that is really similar and it doesn't have the silver rim on the turntable.

So the seller might have been unwittingly and partially correct in describing the machine as a Standard, but certainly not an Edison .

Phono-Phan wrote:It is a Standard A phonograph. It has a larger center hole spindle. The horn looks repainted. It is worth checking out depending on the asking price.

Asking price is $475.......

If it doesn't need any repairs then the asking price is fair. You can always make an offer. Double check the turntable to see it has the larger center spindle. The Standard records are not that hard to come by. If you get this, I would sell you a couple to get you started.
Ken Brekke

Thank you to everyone that gave their input. I think I'm going to pass on this one. I want to avoid machines that take "proprietary" records. That's why I have avoided Diamond Disc machines as well as cylinder machines - I don't want to / can't afford to fall into the "special style" record rabbit hole. I'm simply looking for one affordable (for me) open horn machine to add to my small collection that can play the records I already have and can add to readily.

You can change the turntable to play normal 78s and then swap it back, if you actually want to play "Standard" big hole records - since you would have turntables for both. I have one with the altered turntable (it's just a regular Columbia turntable) and it is a great little machine.

You will be hard pressed to find a good outside horn machine for anywhere near the price, so don't be turned off by the "proprietary" spindle... In fact, if it was me, I would explain to the seller that you want a machine to play "normal" 78s, (which his won't without modification) and use that as a reason to dicker the price down... maybe to $350-$400. He will run into the same issue with any other seller who wants a machine to play Victor, Columbia, etc. records on.

Here is an eBay link to a conversion turntable:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Standard-Ta ... SwZ~pdsnbO

Wow! Thanks! I wasn't sure if that was possible with this one. Game back on! Besides the general things you look for on any machine, is there any inherent issues I should pay attention to with this particular machine, pot metal, etc.? Also, it has been mentioned the horn may have been repainted. Thoughts?

There were four companies in Chicago with adjoining addresses and the same men sitting on the boards of directors that were formed to liquidate a warehouse-full of Columbia overstock and cut-out records. The four companies were Standard Talking Machine Company, Harmony TMCo., United TMCo., and Aretino TMCo. The companies’ plan was, in cooperation with Columbia, to drill-out the spindle holes of the records and relabel them (the list of companies I gave is in ascending diameter of hole diameters). Then, ads were placed in various magazines and through certain mail-order outlets offering a free talking machine with an order of twelve records for $6.00. The hapless buyer would receive the order only to find that only the proprietary records would fit into the enlarged turntable spindle of the machine, forcing them to order records from the enclosed catalog. Collectors today call them ‘scheme machines’. Footnote: Pietro Aretino (1492-1556) developed the solfeggio scale — do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do