The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Not mine, but super cool!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/176763559846?_ ... R87S156DZQ

These are rare machines and important in the history of phonographs. The Echophone pictured in the eBay ad is the earlier style using the wooden mandrel, circa 1896. The gutta percha mandrel version was slightly later.

This machine is missing the entire front end which includes the wood post that supports the reproducing mechanism, which is the tension spring for the glass reproducing rod, the glass
rod itself, and the metal support arm. It seems the wooden mandrel has been painted.

Below is a complete example with the gutta percha mandrel so you can see how it should look.

Very interesting. What is a realistic price for a complete one? I see in 2022 one was sold at auction in Canada for $1200, which seems very cheap, so presumably a reproduction?

Typically, if complete, a wooden mandrel version without a horn can be $5000 or more and gutta percha similarly priced. Condition is everything with these. The glass rods were prone to breakage and very few have the original. Most Echophones today have reproduction glass rods.

I've never heard of a reproduction Echophone. It was probably incomplete.

Hope this helps

Scott

Aside from missing its entire reproducing mechanism and pillar, this machine appears to be missing its lid.

https://forum.antiquephono.org/topic/60 ... mment-2945

George P.

It does. Thanks George. Still a hard to find phonograph but finding the missing parts would certainly be a challenge.

It looks like you could about make the parts with a wood lathe and some old timber that could be aged to match, a piece of rubber for the diaphragm, and a glass rod drawn out in a torch flame to make the arm. Theoretically it would be easier than making, say, a die-cast replica of those cheap reproducers in portables, and worth many times more.

I think a woodworker could fabricate stuff for this, and waiting for missing Echophone bits would be futile.

I had a glass blower make 2 Echophone Glass stylus's for me a few years ago as the Echophone I bought a few years ago. He only charges $50.00 each back then.

Yes - I stand corrected about the lid...it's there. That's a big plus.

George P.