My Sonora Troubador

[ayrhead]

Hi Everyone:
I'm you're latest newbie for the moment. You have a very informative site to say the least. I presently own a Sonora Phonograph. I believe it is a Troubador model around 1920's. I also have about 45 Edison Diamond Disc Re-Creations as well. I took the time to catalogue the records as to what is on them in MS Excel format for anyone who might be interested in what songs I have. I really enjoy playing the old records. Unbelievable sound! I am not an expert to say the least when using my machine. I noticed the last time when playing a record that it seemed to slow down very quickly after putting on the needle. Is this because the main spring could be getting weak or that I just need to change the needles more often? I generally change a needle after playing a record twice.
Looking forward to a response. I've uploaded a picture of it as well.
Thanks for your time
Harry a.k.a Ayrhead

[brianu]

hopefully you're not playing those edison discs on your sonora.

[barnettrp21122]

Welcome, Ayrhead!
Your Edison discs you mention are not designed to be played on your type of player. Steel phonograph needles will ruin the discs with one playing!
You're not the first new-timer to do this...it's understandable if those are the only discs you presently have.
You'll need to get the thinner shellac 78's, such as those made by Victor, Columbia, and countless other manufacturers of the era.
Bob

[ayrhead]

Hi:
Thanks for the prompt response. I've only played the one Edison Disc. It was a marching band song. It didn't seem to do anything to the record, But I'll take your word for it and start looking for some proper records to play on it.

So, needless to say I will need to find an Edison to play these other records on eh? I have 45 records and no player hah hah and I have a nice Sonora with no records... On with the search. I'm sure I'll find some records to play on this machine.

Thanks again for everyones response thusfar
Harry

[David Spanovich]

Hi Harry:

I posted a response yesterday, but deleted it because I wanted to check a few things further.

Based on what I've found out, the Sonora Troubadour was one of the models designed to play "all records without change of reproducer" -- http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ji ... raph&hl=en (I spotted some additional contemporary references to this via a Google news archive search.)

As indicated by the Sonora manual on Nipperhead -- http://www.nipperhead.com/old/sonora.htm (click on thumbnail images to make them full size for viewing/printing.) -- this was done by repositioning the sound box and inserting the proper needle -- a diamond tipped needle for vertically recorded Edison Diamond Disc records; a sapphire ball tipped needle for (vertical cut) Pathé discs -- or a conventional steel needle for "standard" laterally cut "78s."



While Pathé needles are still available -- http://www.phonographs.org/store/produc ... o9iq7gqi76 -- I'm not so sure about the diamond tipped needles for playing the Edison discs. The last I hear, they were not.

In any event, before playing too many records--of any type--it's a good idea to have the sound box (reproducer) overhauled with fresh gaskets, if it has not already been done. This greatly enhances the sound quality, and helps to minimize record wear, as well.

HTH,
DS

[VintageTechnologies]

Nice machine! I'll join the chorus to warn against playing Edisons on anything but an Edison. Sure, a number of phonograph brands (such as Brunswick) were marketed to play the Edison disks, but I am totally convinced that they will wear out an Edison disk faster than an Edison player. If you had the correct diamond needle, you could "sacrifice" one Edison disk to demo the Sonora, but I would not play the others on it. If you had a Pathé sapphire stylus, then you could play the Pathé vertical-cut records without harm.

[ayrhead]

Hi David:
Thanks very much for the information about being able to play my Edison on the Sonora providing I have the proper needle. i will have to have a look around and see if I can locate the proper needle.
Thanks once again for educating me about this amazing machine.
Harry a.k.a. Ayrhead ( we live in a small village called Ayr)

[JohnM]

If you poke around in your machine looking for the proper styli, they both typically have brass or dark-colored shanks with a thicker part closer to the tip. The Edison stylus itself will be dark and conical (pointed) and may not appear much different than the metal shank to which it is mounted. The sapphire ball will be just that -- a tiny ball mounted on the end -- usually clear, but sometimes whitish, blue, or red.

[ayrhead]

WOO HOO!! I looked around and found a small tin. In it were 3 needles. Here are the pic's. Needle 1 looks like brass, Needle 2 looks plasticy and red base, Needle 3 Looks plasticy as well and is blue or black. Hopefully one of these is for the Edison records.
Thanks Again Everyone and by the way Merry Christmas To All. Harry

[JohnM]

Congratulations! Jackpot! Stylus #2, Pathé or other 'hill-and-dale' format. Stylus #3, Edison. The shank is metal. Not sure what #1 is, but it looks like one of those 'wear-ever' type for 78's -- if so, it's a record destroyer. Don't use it! 'Hill-and-dale' records have a vertically-modulated U-shaped groove. Edison 'Diamond Discs' have a vertically-modulated V-shaped groove, thus the difference in stylus geometry.

Although this is semantics, the term 'needle' implies a disposable, or resharpenable (but ultimately disposable) point, i.e., a steel needle, a bamboo needle, a cactus-thorn needle, a whale ivory needle, a tungsten-tip needle, etc. The term 'stylus' implies a permanent, jeweled tip. A stylus may be 'permanently' (requiring disassembly of the reproducer to remove) mounted like in an Edison Disc Phonograph; or mounted to a shank like your styli.