The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

How did this ever get past Quality Control?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/314192876167?h ... R8SRx_f-YA

Cheers, Bob S.

May have been a disgruntled employee.

To my knowledge, this BGT was a conversion kit vs. a factory-made BGT as the decal is the early style found on a first model BG. A factory-made BGT would have a front decal that says Columbia Graphophone, as BGTs were available a year or so later than the BG. However, conversion kits to upgrade a BG were available some time earlier.

The tonearm addition would have either been done by a dealer/jobber or an individual. It is interesting to see the crank is on the correct side of the machine even though the decals are on the reverse sides if the machine.

Scott.

To my knowledge, this BGT was a conversion kit vs. a factory-made BGT as the decal is the early style found on a first model BG. A factory-made BGT would have a front decal that says Columbia Graphophone, as BGTs were available a year or so later than the BG. However, conversion kits to upgrade a BG were available some time earlier.

The tonearm addition would have either been done by a dealer/jobber or an individual. My belief is it was done by an individual with little experience with these phonographs. Hard to know know if it was a period conversion or a later one without pulling the assembly apart and look at the holes

Possibly? But if you look at the crank hole, it is on the wrong side of the machine from the start!
I also noticed that it has the 2-4 minute gearing.

Shouldn't the hinge be on the backside as well?

Is there any evidence at all of a plugged crank hole in the opposite side of the cabinet?

Is there any evidence at all of a plugged crank hole in the opposite side of the cabinet?

Don't know? I guess you would have to buy it to find out. You'd have to take a chance thou; the seller has ZERO Feedback!

Zwebie wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 7:28 pm

Is there any evidence at all of a plugged crank hole in the opposite side of the cabinet?

Don't know? I guess you would have to buy it to find out. You'd have to take a chance thou; the seller has ZERO Feedback!

It's also on FB Marketplace.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 3fb7bf7a4f

I enjoy a flawed machine like a Victrola with an upside down decal in the lid. But I've seen enough Columbias, and in particular BG & BGT's, to make me wonder if there was a reason. My BG has the decals reversed and I've seen enough others to make me wonder. Maybe high end Columbia dealers used the top of the line BGT with reversed decals and when demonstrating the Graphophone turned the horn towards the customer. That great banner decal would be blazed into the customer's memory. Plus it would be convenient for the dealer to operate the demonstration machine. It's fun to speculate on these very interesting machines.

Jerry B.

It's on FB marketplace in Stanton, MI.

I think there’s more of these machines made like this out there. There was another thread a few years ago about this same topic and I remember there was at least 2 or 3 or more examples shown just like this one.
Very interesting!