BZH Hornless Talking Machine

[Lucius1958]

Here's a machine I was given a few years ago: obviously Columbia-made, but who marketed it, and when? Any info?

(Note: stylus bar has been replaced, as well as paper on reproducer - which was unmarked when I got it.....)

[Phonofreak]

I have that machine. It was made by Columbia, but sold by either Sears or Montgomery Ward.
Harvey Hravitz

[Phototone]

I have that machine. It was made by Columbia, but sold by either Sears or Montgomery Ward.
Harvey Hravitz

If it were sold by those stores, it would be called a Harvard, or, lets see, Lakewood? maybe.

[schweg]

I knew I recognized those corner posts, I just didn't remember where I saw them before... So do you think this is a Frankenphone, one where an inside horn machine was turned into an outside horn machine? I asked the seller for a close-up pic of the front so I could see the decal better. He didn't send one so I wonder if maybe someone closed in the front of a BZH and poof, an outside Columbia horn machine!! It does not look like any of the outside horn Columbia's in Baumbach's Columbia Phono Companion v. 2. What do you think?

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Steve S

[estott]

Here's another BZH on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/BZH-Hornless-Talkin ... 53e5554424

Columbia made several cabinets(mostly for clients) that could be used for for both inside and outside horns- it cut costs, all you had to do was change the front panel. I think there are a lot of variations in their machines that haven't been classified.

[Energ15]

I knew I recognized those corner posts, I just didn't remember where I saw them before... So do you think this is a Frankenphone, one where an inside horn machine was turned into an outside horn machine? I asked the seller for a close-up pic of the front so I could see the decal better. He didn't send one so I wonder if maybe someone closed in the front of a BZH and poof, an outside Columbia horn machine!! It does not look like any of the outside horn Columbia's in Baumbach's Columbia Phono Companion v. 2. What do you think?

3ne3of3l75O65Y55Q3acjaaf4b228f70e1de1.jpg

3oa3p53l75Z15T55X6acjbf2c544efb19173c.jpg

Steve S

This looks to be the Columbia BZH internal machine that has been turned into an external horn Frankenphone.
If you look very closely at the front of the machine, around the decal is a faint oval ring where someone probably patched up the original internal horn.

- Cody Harris

[Edisone]

Definite Frankenphone! Note the very non-Columbia bracket and tone arm, complete with gooseneck.

[schweg]

I asked the seller for a close-up pic of the front so I could see the decal better. He didn't send one so I wonder if maybe someone closed in the front of a BZH and poof, an outside Columbia horn machine!!

He posted one on CL today- as many suspected.... Price is down from 500 to 395 though!

decal.jpg (8.06 KiB) Viewed 3739 times

Steve S

[Lucius1958]

I asked the seller for a close-up pic of the front so I could see the decal better. He didn't send one so I wonder if maybe someone closed in the front of a BZH and poof, an outside Columbia horn machine!!

He posted one on CL today- as many suspected.... Price is down from 500 to 395 though!

decal.jpg

Steve S

Yep: Repro decal (not even a disc decal!) on a panel mounted inside the cutout.......

Frankenphone, definitely.