What is your ”Holy Grail” machine? Have you found it?

[Django]

I started this on The Talking Machine Forum.  I thought that it might be an interesting topic on here as well.

 

Tastes vary and change. My favorite machine from my collection is my Victor D with Speartip horn, but it’s not my most desired machine, (I have no complaints ). 

A “wanted” post on the other forum mentioned searching for “the Holy Grail”, which naturally caused the thread to stray off topic, (sorry about that).  

I don’t want to hijack the thread any further, but I think that it is an interesting topic. For me, it would be a first style, Oak, Columbia DeLuxe Reginaphone, (Lions Head).

That said, I would almost rather be seeking it than owning one.  I enjoy the hunt as well as keeping my marriage intact.  
 

Now that I think of it, the Berliner on the shelf was once my Holy Grail.

So what machine would be your “Holy Grail”?  

Edited September 4, 2023 by Django

[Valecnik]

Whew tough question.  It's so hard to pick just one...  Maybe my Circassian walnut Edison A-450.  I looked for one for years before finally getting lucky.

[Mlund]

I have had many holy grail machines over the years (Edison Class M, Double Bell Wonder, Tinfoil phonograph, Keller Coin-OP, Gibson, Kammer & Reinhardt gramophone, Loriot weight driven phonograph, string wind Berliner, Bell Tainter Treadle, etc, etc….)

I have been fortunate to have been able to collect a number of my Holy Grail machines, but it seems every time you find your holy grail, you soon discover a new holy grail. Just like the mountain climber, you enjoy the view from the summit for a bit then look for a bigger mountain to climb. Today my list of holy grails far exceeds my list of acquired machines.

 

However I will never forget my first Holy Grail machine when I first started collecting over 30 years ago. I wanted a trademark Berliner - just like the one in the HMV painting more than anything in the world. There was a Berliner advertised in a local auction (a newspaper ad with no pics as the internet was not much of a thing at that time. Infact, I didn’t own a computer). I had to work so I sent my very understanding wife to the auction to try and acquire it. She proudly came back with this machine. The “trademark Berliner” that had been advertised, and at less than the spending limit I had given her for a trademark.

Upon returning home I initially tried to hide my disappointment as I quickly realized this clearly was not the “trademark Berliner” immortalized in the HMV painting by Barraud. In fact at the time I had no idea what she had purchased. It took a little research (at that time the collecting books were quite limited, George Paul and Tim Fibrizio’s books were years away). I finally had to admit to her that she did good.

 

I did eventually manage to collect my holy grail trademark Berliner Gramophone as well as an original Frances Barraud ‘His Masters Voice’ painting of the trademark Berliner.

Edited September 5, 2023 by Mlund

[BruceW]

 I have to agree picking the best "holly grail" phonograph is tough as finding and acquiring the next one is always the most fun.

But if I was to pick one it would be one of the first machines I added to my collection, a Zonophone Grand Opera.  I bought it sight unseen at a small town auction and had to drive 4 hours each way to pick it up.

It did not come with a horn and it took me years to find the correct brass horn and of course I then found this nickel horn which I have on it for this photo. 

 

Bruce

P.S.  Don't worry about the bright window behind the machine, I only opened the blind for the photo.

[phonogfp]

As others have noted, this is a complex question.  I've had numerous "holy grails" over the years, and have been fortunate enough to have found many of them.  Once found, do they continue to be "holy grails" or simply "favorite machines?"  Is the real question here, "What are you looking for?"

 

I don't mean to be obstructive or play semantics, but after thinking about it for a couple of days, I still don't really know how to answer the question!

 

Like Django, an early yearning for me was to own a Berliner Improved Gramophone.  I found one locally in May 1973, but foolishly traded it away ("If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.").  Within a month or two I realized my mistake, but it was too late.  It took 8 years, but on June 12, 1981, I finally found another one I could afford:

 

 

In early 1973 I was pining for a "key-wind" machine.  I had bought my first copy of Frow, and was obsessed with early Gems, as well as Q and Eagle Graphophones.  In fact, a Q was one of the machines I received for my late-lamented first Berliner!  Oh, the humanity...

 

I'm going to skip over decades of collecting, to when I finally obtained a true "holy grail" for me: a Type GG Graphophone Grand.  Ever since seeing the picture of Walter Welch sitting beside his GG on the inside cover of From Tinfoil to Stereo, the huge machine had haunted me.  In January 2017 I finally bought one - with its 19 5-inch cylinders:

 

 

My most recent (and final offering) is an Eagle Graphophone!  This one is pretty special, because it was offered only briefly by the Talking Machine Company in 1899.  Like Columbia's BXP, the mechanism was highly polished and nickel-plated, but unlike the Columbia model, this one had no wooden cabinet, being mounted on a nickel-plated cast-iron base.  (An article on these machines is in the works).  So far I am aware of only one other example of this short-lived creature, but I hope to find others to expand my small database:

 

 

One cannot collect for 56 years and not have a number of "holy grails" which have been satisfied, so I have limited myself to only three - and that hasn't been easy.  As for current "holy grails?"  I honestly can't think of one, but I'll know it when I see it...!

 

George P.

[Tinfoilphono]

Quote

 It took a little research (at that time the collecting books were quite limited, George Paul and Tim Fibrizio’s books were years away). I finally had to admit to her that she did good.

 

Great story, Mike. I'm reminded of a similar find about 30 years ago. It was the only machine I've found "in the wild" in California. My local PG&E guy was a phonograph collector, but his focus was mainly on uprights. Because of his job he had access to lots of homes in the area. One day he stopped by for a visit and we got to talking. I mentioned that I was looking for a glass-sided Zonophone A. He said he saw one recently at a home a few miles from me. He gave me the phone number and I immediately called and made an appointment to see it the same day. When I got there I found that it wasn't an A. I had no idea what it actually was -- I'd never seen anything like it either in other collections or in books. It was similar, but bigger, with a huge 30"horn. It was missing the crank, tone arm, and reproducer, and the horn was pretty dented. I was so disappointed that I decided to walk away. Fortunately I had the presence of mind to ask his price before I turned my back completely. When he said "$600" I decided maybe it was worth the gamble.

 

It turned out to be the early Concert, of which I've seen about a dozen in the years since. I found an original crank and reproducer, bought a superb replica tone arm from the Smiths, and had the horn rolled out by a local music store. I'm glad I swallowed my initial disappointment.

 

(I did eventually find a mint A, with original carrying case.)

 

[phonogfp]

Rene, that's a National Gramophone Corporation-era Zonophone CONCERT GRAND, which is an earlier and far rarer machine that a Concert - or even the later Concert Grand.  That's a great story of acquisition!

 

Until November 2020, mine sat high on a shelf in the home of the original owner's great-granddaughter.  I paid considerably more than you did!

 

George P.

 

[alang]

Many awesome dream machines listed here that I would be ecstatic to own. For me the climb went from owning an outside horn machine (Edison Standard), to an external horn disc machine (a basket case Royal Talking Machine that I restored), to a Victor, then a Zonophone, then a pre 1900 machine (Eagle - thanks George). My true holy grail would be an Auxetophone, but I would of course also take a British Auxeto-Gramophone, or any of the European versions of it. I am quite sure that this will probably stay in holy grail status for me. But I can always dream can't I?

Andreas

[CurtA]

Andreas, if you happened to stop at a junk store in Greensboro, NC a few years ago, you could have bought one for a little over $100.  But, timing is everything...

Edited September 10, 2023 by CurtA

[MisterJive47]

Whew... well for a "Holy Grail" machine for me I would say an Edison Opera or Amberola 1A for cylinders. Now for 78s, a Victor V or VI and matching cabinet stand. Granted, when I first started collecting 78s back before high school, my "Holy Grail" would have been just having a nice, working cylinder player. I had no real expectations of what model machine I wanted as just the idea of having an cylinder phonograph was far-reaching aspiration at the time, and I was happy with the little Victrola VI that my father had bought me for my small 78 collection.

I wouldn't have imagined myself to own an Amberola 75 or Victor II back then. I can only imagine what kind of exotic machines I'll be aspiring for a decade from now.

[Roaring20s]

It looked bigger in the ad. 🧐

James.

[phonogfp]

😄

[Oceanlinerfanatic191]

My holy grail phonograph would be the Colombia Graphophone Eagle (any model). There is something appealing to me about the small size of the machine and the horn which looks quite handsome and unique on it. 

[phonogfp]

1 hour ago, Oceanlinerfanatic191 said:

My holy grail phonograph would be the Colombia Graphophone Eagle (any model). There is something appealing to me about the small size of the machine and the horn which looks quite handsome and unique on it. 

 

An excellent choice!

 

George P.

[Oceanlinerfanatic191]

44 minutes ago, phonogfp said:

 

An excellent choice!

 

George P.

Thank you.

[Jeff238]

For me, it was the Edison North American Class-M phonograph.  Ever since I got a copy of "From Tin Foil To Stereo" as a 13 year old I had dreamt of finding one.  Never thought I'd actually get one.  But here it is!  It even came with a Standard Speaker but unfortunately only the bottom part of the swarf box.

 

[phonogfp]

Nice original decoration on that Class M!

 

George P.

[Oceanlinerfanatic191]

Very nice machine.

[Jeff238]

I should have mentioned that the japanning on the bedplate and all of the decoration were recreated by Dave Teti of Connecticut at the time I purchased the machine.  The original japanning on the bedplate looked like the mud cracks at the bottom of a dried up pond!  All of the gold decoration was gone, except for the "Turn this way only" legend on the brush cover plate which had survived intact.  Attached is a scan of a photo taken of the machine as found.  Notice the mandrel is bluish-black in color.  The feedscrew was brown with rust.  Dave also checked over the electrics which were fortunately ok.

[phonogfp]

Dave did outstanding work.  Is he still in business?

 

George P.

[Jeff238]

Dave mainly restored antique electric fans.  He worked on my Class M in the 1990s.  Possibly AFCA might have information about him.

 

[phonogfp]

Thanks - I used to see him at phonograph shows, but as you say, that was back in the 1990s.

 

George P.

[Fran604g]

My "Holy Grail" would be any one of the Bell-Tainter Graphophone configurations. A Type K is probably the most common/likeliest I could ever hope to find, but first I'd need that holy grail of commerce: the bucks.😁