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Picked up an old Columbia dirt cheap yesterday. It's my first one. No clue what model or year though. Came with 10 records.

Searcher1970 wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2024 2:50 pm Picked up an old Columbia dirt cheap yesterday. It's my first one. No clue what model or year though. Came with 10 records.

I can't really comment on the gramophone because I don't know anything about Columbias - but it looks very good.

What really 'caught my eye' were your records and your very cool fire hydrant !!!!

Great! Next step is to buy some needles. One play per needle is recommended for best sound and for record preservation.

Is everything working?

It does work. It came with a bunch of needles but I'm not sure if they are used.

JerryVan wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2024 3:27 pm Great! Next step is to buy some needles. One play per needle is recommended for best sound and for record preservation.

Is everything working?

It does work. It came with a bunch of needles but I'm not sure if they are used.

Under a bright light, hold the needle between your thumb and forefinger, with the pointed end facing away from you. Roll the needle slowly between your fingers and look for a glint of light to reflect off of the needle tip. The brief reflection is from light bouncing off of a flat surface, worn on the tip of a used needle. Even 1 play will cause this effect. No glint means a new needle.

Congrats--nice looking machine.

Columbias are always dicey to identify, but consulting the Baumbach reference book it looks like the model that Columbia sold for $75 beginning in 1914. At that point, and until December 1915, it was called "Leader." After December 1915, it was model 75. Baumbach says, "The Columbia Grafonola Leader came with four sunken needle cups, bayonet-joint tone arm, Columbia #6 reproducer, and a rack to hold 75 records. The Columbia Individual Record Ejector system for 49 records was an optional $10. The cabinet was offered in a choice of mahogany, satin walnut, or golden, fumed or English oak. The motor held three springs and the hardware was all nickel plated." He shows it as 42" high, 19" wide, and 21" deep as the Leader. Same dimensions for no. 75 except under that name it lost ⅛" in height.

Treat the tonearm gently, by the way; it's pot metal and thus fragile. From the pictures, you have the record rack, not the ejector thing.

Oh, and welcome!