The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Does it look like this Starr machine is all in order?

http://cgi.ebay.com/PHONOGRAPH-HAWTHORN ... 500wt_1156

That's not a Starr - - it's a Star.

It's missing its data plate on the front of the cabinet, but otherwise looks complete. The horn may not be originally made for a disc machine, but it would take a good closeup to tell. It is a Hawthorne & Sheble horn, so it may legit. I wish they had shown the motor.

George P.

Is that a "geniune" "yielding-pressure" tone-arm ?

what's with the heads on the table?

Not sure about the heads, but in the fourth picture of the back bracket, I wonder if the automatic self winding attachment (lower right) is included?

So the motor board wouldn't originally have the same serpentine carving as the baseboard? If you look closely at the front board, where the tag would be, there is a faint impression of a large oval shape?

It's a Star Model 85 and the square deck and round base are correct. The horn looks like the horn on my Star Model 50 although my horn is wood grained. My Star models 85 and 50 have star shaped ID tags with model and serial number information. I couldn't tell if the ebay machine ever had a similar tag. If it's missing, it would be tough to find. I consider my Star Model 85 to be one of the highlights of my collection.

Did the "85" or "50" indicate price?

Were the ID tags omitted on late Star machines perhaps during some type of clearance?

Jerry Blais

Jerry B. wrote:It's a Star Model 85 and the square deck and round base are correct. The horn looks like the horn on my Star Model 50 although my horn is wood grained. My Model 85 has a star shaped ID tag with model and serial number. I couldn't tell if the ebay machine ever had a similar tag. If it's missing, it would be tough to find. I consider my Star Model 85 to be one of the highlights of my collection.

Did the "85" or "50" indicate price?

Were the ID tags omitted on late Star machines perhaps during some type of clearance?

Jerry Blais

Yes, the "85", "65", "50", etc. reflected the original selling prices of the Star models. Both the "75" and the "85" used this same cabinet, but the motors differed in number of mainsprings. I have an odd Star without the data plate in the cabinet, but in its place is a nickeled plate listing H&S patent dates (you can see this at http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... +47#p16993). Seems like the eBay example must have had a plate of some kind on it. I'd want to know if the horn has a hanger on it, too. Good photos would certainly make a difference, wouldn't they?

George P.

It appears the seller may be a member/reader of this board. In any event, photos of the motor have been posted. It's the 4-spring model in characteristic light blue paint - - all legit.

George P.

The one for sale on eBay looks very close to this model illustrated on intertique -- http://www.intertique.com/StarID.html

I note the square top and serpentine bottom are the same. I'm wondering, though--the finish of the "plating" looks kind of blotchy (eBay model), as if paint or some type of wash had been applied to mask a corroded metal finish. Hard to really tell from the photos....