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1905 Busy Bee Grand Phonograph * Museum Quality * 100% Original * Plays Great For Sale
Make
sure to check out all of my sales after you've looked at this one.
I'm listing an outstanding assortment of museum quality musical, electrical and mechanical
antiques, and I suspect that there will be at least something of
interest to almost everyone.Here's a gorgeous, 100% original Busy Bee Grand disc phonograph
manufactured in 1906 by Hawthorne & Sheble and distributed
exclusively by the O'Neill James Co. of Chicago. This unique machine
(there is no tonearm -- the morning glory horn connects directly to the
support arm) is complete and correct, and it's in fantastic working
condition. Its full-color cabinet decal -- a honeycomb swarming with
Busy Bees -- is also original, and it's one of the most beautiful
cabinet decals ever featured on a phonograph of any type. The phonograph includes an 11" Busy Bee disc record and will be ready to play and enjoy as soon as it arrives. Like its
cylinder-playing sibling, the Busy Bee Queen, the Grand was designed to
play proprietary records that allegedly yielded better sound quality
than their competitors (at least that was the marketing pitch) but in
fact were identical to them in almost all respects, save for the fact
that only Busy Bee records could be played on Busy Bee machines. The
Busy Bee line of phonographs were offered at a tremendous discount, and
occasionally even given away as premiums with the purchase of other
products, but the benefits of that "sweet deal" were short-lived,
because the records that were sold subsequent to the initial phonograph
purchase cost quite a bit more than those sold by Victor, Columbia, et
al. The guys at Gillette and Schick were no doubt taking notes on this
approach to selling at a loss up front only to recoup huge profits
further down the line. As you can see in the pictures, the phonograph
is in superb condition throughout, particularly for a Busy Bee Grand. The cabinet retains its original finish and its original multi-color Busy Bee decal. The original paper instruction sheet is still affixed to the underside of the cabinet, and it's still legible and in good condition. In fact it's the best, most complete label I've ever seen on a Busy Bee Grand. The motorboard has no splits, and there are no crushed corners. The base molding is in excellent condition all around, with just a single chip in the lower left rear corner, but no other issues of any significance. The paper patent label is also still present on the underside of the cabinet, and it too is still complete and legible. The horn is original, and it's beautiful, with original red paint and original detail striping that is as about as good as you'll find on any Busy Bee Grand phonograph. There are scattered small marks and nicks on the painted surface that are consistent with the horn's age and the paint's authenticity, but if you're looking for a Busy Bee Grand with a superior original horn, this machine should be at the top of your list. The cast iron
horn support and cast iron support arm are both in excellent condition,
with no chips or cracks or other damage. Even the original guide pin (which allows the horn assembly to traverse the record surface with minimal resistance) is still in place on the horn support (see pics). The cast iron crank is
in excellent condition, with no broken or chipped teeth. It's a long shaft crank, designed to clear the rim of the oversized Busy Bee Records (11" diameter) that were sold with this machine. The
original Busy Bee reproducer is in also in excellent condition, and it's still in good working order, with its original needle bar, its original spring and its original pink metal diaphragm.
That's about it. Buyer prepays and
includes shipping. Phonograph and horn will need to be packaged
separately to ensure the safe arrival of the horn. I've been shipping antique phonographs and scientific apparatus around the world for decades, and I know how to get things to you safely. Overseas buyers are
welcome in countries where I can ship oversized packages, but please note
that I can't falsify customs documents to save you money on duty.
On Feb-19-13 at 02:59:23 PST, seller added the following information:Clarification: The crank may have been changed out at some pointto allow it clear the
outside rim of theoversized Busy Beerecord without bumping up against it each
time it was turned. It's a jagged shank drop-off crank, like a conventional
Busy Bee crank, but it's not a normal Busy Bee crank. Rather, it's
nickel-plated brass, not black japanned iron, and the shank is 3 1/2" long,
which prevents it from hitting the record's edge as it's wound. The 11" record
that comes with the phonograph is the largest Busy Bee record that I've ever
seen. I don't know if it was part of a special offer or a trial production run,
but it's huge, and as you can see in the photograph, most of its interior
playing surface (toward the label) is unused. There's a chip on the outside
edge of the record, but it doesn't invade the playing surface or even cross the
ridge that prevents the needle from falling off the record.For all I know, the
recordmight have beenchipped bythe originalcrank and replaced with the crank
that's on it now to keep it from happening again.
This item has been shown 722 times.
1905 Busy Bee Grand Phonograph * Museum Quality * 100% Original * Plays Great: $990
