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BZH Hornless Talking Machine
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 5:11 pm
by 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.....)
Re: BZH Hornless Talking Machine
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:29 pm
by Phonofreak
I have that machine. It was made by Columbia, but sold by either Sears or Montgomery Ward.
Harvey Hravitz
Re: BZH Hornless Talking Machine
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 8:37 pm
by Phototone
Phonofreak wrote: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.
Re: BZH Hornless Talking Machine
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 9:33 pm
by 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?
- 3ne3of3l75O65Y55Q3acjaaf4b228f70e1de1.jpg (6.14 KiB) Viewed 3810 times
- 3oa3p53l75Z15T55X6acjbf2c544efb19173c.jpg (7.21 KiB) Viewed 3810 times
Steve S
Re: BZH Hornless Talking Machine
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 10:16 pm
by 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.
Re: BZH Hornless Talking Machine
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 10:39 pm
by Energ15
schweg wrote: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
Re: BZH Hornless Talking Machine
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:30 pm
by Edisone
Definite Frankenphone! Note the very non-Columbia bracket and tone arm, complete with gooseneck.
Re: BZH Hornless Talking Machine
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:36 pm
by 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 3749 times
Steve S
Re: BZH Hornless Talking Machine
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 1:23 am
by Lucius1958
schweg wrote: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.