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A local collector has (or maybe had, since he was selling) this Columbia grafonola favorite. It has doors on it, rather than louvers, infringing on the Victor patent, so the machine must be relatively early.

The tonearm is brass, and the diaphragm is aluminum. I’ve seen this same diaphragm before, but can’t remember where. Possibly on another one of these machines. Does anyone know if these aluminum diaphragms are original to these reproducers?

Here's what's on mine (thumbscrew broken off in needle bar). Nice and early! Congratulations!

Hope this helps,
Bob

I think that it might be a variant of the Grand. It is the correct reproducer for that machine. I like the early Favorites with the doors. The machine in the attachment is not mine.

The cover over the diaphragm is removable.

More than anything I was taken by the fact that they used an aluminum diaphragm so early. Any idea what year (approximately) these early grafonola favorites were made?

Pathé Logical wrote: Sat Dec 17, 2022 7:29 pm Here's what's on mine (thumbscrew broken off in needle bar). Nice and early! Congratulations!

Hope this helps,
Bob

PXL_20221218_001631508.jpgPXL_20221218_001550716.jpg

I did not buy… though it was tempting. To many other projects, not enough space! I might change my mind if he’s still got it in a few weeks, though.

Isn't this diaphragm included in Percy Wilson's 1929 'Gramophones and electrical reproducers'? I remember her does a catalog of historic reproducers'HMV and Columbia on two pages with photos of them in chrono order. I'll check that in ten minutes... (I'm now smoking a cigar outside in the terrace). At least we'll know when was it introduced in the UK.
Watch this space!

Found, PW says it's from 1910.

Inigo wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 9:12 am Found, PW says it's from 1910.
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Does PW name this reproducer?

I had to check if he talks about them... and check other books. Gimme some time and I'll go through it...

We don't know the numbers. I've also checked Baumbach's book on American Columbia and he neither includes this soundbox with aluminium diaphragm, except mentioning it this way in the descriptions of some models of machines.
We know the huge mica No6, and we know the no5 was similar but smaller. Prior to these there were the Grand and Concert Grand, and prior to these the aluminium, the Analyzing, etc. No known numbers for all these, sorry. I'm afraid the Columbia catalogues of the details applied names to them, but not numbers prior to no5.... Maybe someone more versed or having more information could put some light here