Featured phonograph No. 76, The Ecco

[briankeith]

This little red mahogany(?) Ecco has become my favorite new "off-brand" talking machine, and has sparked a new interest in my phonograph collecting
habits - collecting these small off-brand single spring machines. This Ecco is all wood including the built-in horn. The tiny crank handle was made without a wood knob and requires quite a bit of cranking to play a record. You will also notice the small eight inch turntable. This Ecco will only play a 7 or 8 inch record (such as the little one-sided Victors) all the way through with a complete winding. If I play a 10 inch record then I must give it some extra cranks to play the record all the way to the end. This little Ecco sounds loud and clear for such a small machine, and seems to produce an unusual "bass tone" through the integrated wood horn. I love this little machine!

The Ecco Machine Co. 224 - 21st Street, Detroit, Michigan.
Cost was $7.50 which included 5 records and a package of needles, shipping included east of the Rockies.
Advertised in the June 1916 edition of Popular Mechanics magazine.
Made of solid wood with rich Mahogany finish.
Solid wood integrated horn.
14.25" long, 10.25" wide, 4.25" tall.
Thin metal soundbox - no mica diaphragm.
8" turntable.
This machine has no visable model or serial number, just the original Ecco Talking Machine Detroit, Mich. decal.

[phonophan79]

Great looking little machine!

[estott]

It's a sweet machine- I think when the spring was new it would have played a 10 or 12 inch record on one winding. My Thorens Excelda will play a 10 inch now, but it no longer can get quite to the end of a 12.

[alang]

Cute little machine in great condition. It has a very short tonearm but with a strong taper, that's probably responsible for the good volume.
Thanks
Andreas