Sonora Phonograph

[fboles]

Can anyone help me with information and value of a Sonora "clear as a bell" MFD by Sonora Phonograph Co., New York, NY. ETUDE No. 877209 QR, Swiss made. I have included pictures. If anyone can help me, it would be greatly appreciated.

[VanEpsFan1914]

That was a nice machine in its day. It was made from the mid to late 1920s to play the new "electrically recorded" 78s of that time, and should do well with a restoration.

Unfortunately some well-meaning somebody has embalmed your poor phonograph in polyurethane, after doing a very sloppy job stripping off the original finish. You can see where it was left round the decal, and how it is much lighter elsewhere. That was not very good for the value of the machine, but with a replica decal from Gregg Cline's website www.phonodecal.com you could probably re-finish it in a period-accurate nitrocellulose lacquer. This has greatly diminished value.

It's a very handsome machine at any rate, but with the state of the motor and reproducer unknown and that most unfortunate refinish job, it's probably not worth what you think it's worth.

(Here on the Forum we don't give appraisals, unfortunately, since the phonograph market is a fickle thing. There seems to be a decline in interest for the more common models of phonograph, but newcomers and people like me who just like music will buy whatever can be made to play records. I think you could get about $50-175 for it if you sold it, but if it were refinished? No, it might not help the value, but one rebuilds these form a desire to preserve history and make beautiful work. For an investment, try blue-chip stocks. For fun and for a labor of love, only then does buying a 90-year-old record player make any sense.)

Good luck if you're selling it! Sonora Etudes are nice machines and built by a luxury company back in their day. Perhaps someone here may show interest!

[fboles]

Thank you for your information. It works beautifully and has very thick records that have been with it for many years. It is in great working condition. Yes, I agree that it could have been refinished better than it is, but it does look ok....the pictures does not do it justice.

[Benjamin_L]

It's a model after 1925, the reproducer might not be original(It looks like an earlier Sonora reproducer from the back.) and it looks like it's been poorly refinished in some spots.

[Benjamin_L]

and has very thick records that have been with it for many years.

If those records are really thick like a quarter inch they're probably Edison records, don't try and play them.(Your Sonora isn't compatible, and it'll just eat them.)