Columbia Symphony Grand for sale

Introduced in 1907 at a price of $200, this scarce, historically significant machine was Columbia's first internal horn model, a response to Victor's new internal horn VTLA.

As there was no design consensus at this time as to what an internal horn machine should look like, Columbia crafted the Symphony Grand to resemble a familiar upright piano, the first in a line of Grafonolas disguised as household furniture.

An enormous triple spring motor powered the Symphony Grand. The tone arm with Columbia's Analyzing Reproducer, mounted on a flange, was an inverted version of the arm on outside horn Graphophones.

Judging from the number of these I have seen and owned, this is a very scarce machine, quite a bit rarer than Victor's VTLA.

This example is substantially original. The grill cloth is a replacement. I have a few of the original pot metal knobs/escutcheons, usually missing from a Symphony Grand. The machine is original finish; it appears that someone put some type of furniture polish on it recently.

I have rebuilt the reproducer. The motor is working and the springs hold tension. When we first received this there was some variation in the speed, but as we played through several records most of this corrected itself, indicating that the old grease causing the spring to stick to itself was being broken up.

Dimensions are approximately 52" by 24" by 32".

Inquire about this item

View more from this category

Lynn Bilton
Box 435
Randolph,OH 44265
330 325-7866

We buy, sell, and repair antique phonographs and music boxes.

Pick-up and delivery possible in many parts of the midwest,south, and northeast.