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What type of cylinder would this machine take? I was reading about this and all the early Columbia ones seem to have a really long cylinder mandrel.

This is the Type N. It was made to play regular brown wax cylinders, but it can play later black wax 2-minute records. The mandrel is conventional in length, but the unusual bullet shaped tip gives the illusion of being longer. This was one of only two Graphophones that ever used an endgate to support the right end of the mandrel, the other being the Graphophone Grand (Type GG).

The earliest Graphophones played 6" long cylinders made of a cardboard tube with a thin ozocerite coating. They did not use a mandrel, they were simply supported at the ends. When Columbia switched to Edison-style standard cylinders, they went to 4" to match Edison. It would be many years later that Columbia (briefly) offered 6" long cylinders, requiring a very long mandrel. (I'm overlooking the Type C, which was primarily a business dictation machine with a 6" mandrel.) But even the 6" mandrels made for the "Twentieth Century" cylinders were still capable of playing standard 4" long records.

Millie,

Here's a good thread on the earliest Graphophones (typically these are Bell-Tainter machines). This appeared on the APS Forum five years ago:

https://forum.antiquephono.org/topic/32 ... mment-1774

George P.

One available for sale on 4-4 Time. Here is the link: https://4-4time.com/product/columbia-mo ... aphophone/
John

ticticdok wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 9:45 pm One available for sale on 4-4 Time. Here is the link: https://4-4time.com/product/columbia-mo ... aphophone/
John

This is not the Yankee Trader section.

I seriously doubt the OP has $3,000 to spend on a rare Graphophone. They are a young collector still In high school. Just discovering the whole world of phonograph history.

Shilling your website tictidok is just not cool.

Damfino59 wrote: Tue Jul 08, 2025 5:09 pm

ticticdok wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 9:45 pm One available for sale on 4-4 Time. Here is the link: https://4-4time.com/product/columbia-mo ... aphophone/
John

This is not the Yankee Trader section.

I seriously doubt the OP has $3,000 to spend on a rare Graphophone. They are a young collector still In high school. Just discovering the whole world of phonograph history.

Shilling your website tictidok is just not cool.

Agreed!!

I wish.

I simply pointed someone toward a machine I had available, believing they might be looking for one. I've seen many members do the same over time, and I didn't view my response as any different. I come from a generation that values kindness and respect in all interactions. So please—if you take issue with something posted here, consider using the ‘PM’ button to discuss it directly, rather than trying to showcase your intellect at someone else's expense.”

I'm sorry ticticdok I was just joking I didn't mean it to be mean.

Damfino59 wrote: Tue Jul 08, 2025 5:09 pm

ticticdok wrote: Mon Jul 07, 2025 9:45 pm One available for sale on 4-4 Time. Here is the link: https://4-4time.com/product/columbia-mo ... aphophone/
John

This is not the Yankee Trader section.

I seriously doubt the OP has $3,000 to spend on a rare Graphophone. They are a young collector still In high school. Just discovering the whole world of phonograph history.

Shilling your website tictidok is just not cool.

Heck I'm in my mid thirties and my family would murder me if I spent that amount on one machine!