My First Phonograph - Sonora Invincible

[audiophile102]

I just joined this forum today to celebrate my newest acquisition, a Sonora Invincible. The patent plate has a date of 1916. It's made of mahogany and it sounds great. I will be posting photos to this posting when I have a chance to get some good shots. I purchased the machine from my good friend, Roger Merenkov, who owns Touch of Beauty Brass in Brookfield Illinois. He serviced the machine and I am very happy with it. Roger is an authority regarding all makes of vintage phonographs. The lower cabinet had tilt out paper record sleeves that were in very poor shape. I removed them and the two metal rods that the sleeves had pivoted on. I intend to use books to contain my record collection, but I wish I could retain the pivot feature. Does anyone sell pivoting record sleeves? I would be surprised if the sleeves are still sold. The bottom door under the main record storage provides horizontal record storage for larger recordings. This is a exciting hobby. I don't suppose that an exact manufacturing date could be discerned, but I was hoping there was a Sonora historian on this site so that I could learn more about my phonograph.

[Pathe Logical]

Welcome to the forum audiofile102! I've known Roger for over 25 years --- he is "good people", and really does know his stuff. I understand you have removed the tilt-out sleeves and associated hardware from your Invincible. I beg/urge you to keep these items with the machine so the pieces can be replaced in the future --- original parts like this get separated and lost forever all too often! I don't know of anyone who currently provides/makes replacement sleeves for Sonoras, but that could change in the future --- so keep those parts!!! Keep your eyes open on eBay, at local phonograph shows (ie. Union, IL in June and Lake County IL Fair Grounds phono show in September for you if you are in IL), and here on this forum for original sets/parts being sold by others.

Post some good pictures here, and I will gladly scan various, pertinent, original Sonora catalog pages for you if you wish. I own early and late Invincibles, and would be very willing to answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability. I'm sure others here will chime in too.

Looking forward to those pictures,
Bob

[audiophile102]

Here are pictures of my phonograph taken today. As you can see, she's a beauty. Roger is going to help me obtain a brass tone arm or have mine refinished. I would prefer an original, but this chrome tone arm works fine for now. Roger, (Touch of Beauty Brass) has more phonographs for sale so give him a call if you are interested. He can repair just about any phonograph ever made. This one is staying with me.

Sonora 1.jpg (184.35 KiB) Viewed 2105 times

Sonora 2.jpg (179.96 KiB) Viewed 2105 times

Sonora 3.jpg (181.51 KiB) Viewed 2105 times

[phonogfp]

Roger is going to help me obtain a brass tone arm or have mine refinished. I would prefer an original, but this chrome tone arm works fine for now.

Your tone arm & sound box are nickel, and correct for the machine. I've never seen a brass tone arm on a Sonora (but sometimes gold plate). You don't need to change a thing.

Nice machine!

George P.

[FloridaClay]

A handsome first phonograph indeed! Welcome.

I would add a second to the request that you keep the album parts that were removed with the machine.

Clay

[audiophile102]

I have retained all the parts I removed and I keep them with the machine. The only parts I discarded were the fragments of paper record sleeves that were left inside. As I said I would like to return the storage bin to using the paper tip out sleeves, but until I can find some to replace the ones that are lost I will use storage books inside the cabinet. Thanks all for your advice.

[Pathe Logical]

As promised, here are some pertinent scans from original Sonora phonograph catalogs depicting the Invincible. The most expensive machine in the 1915 catalog was the newly introduced, $300 Invincible (the ornate version of the Supreme, supplied with a much less ornate accessory record cabinet, first appeared in a 1916 catalog according to my research and was priced at $1000 total for the set). By 1916 the price of the Invincible was increased to $350. According to the catalog descriptions, this increase in price was accompanied by the addition of a drawer for accessories, needle cups and casters, and a decrease in record storage capacity from 110 to 80 discs. The added drawer took the place of the drop-down door with horizontal record storage slats shown in the first picture of this thread (although it doesn't appear those replaced horizontal slats would hold 30 records to begin with). Note: the description in the 1915 catalog erroneously states incorrect dimensions of the Invincible --- they should actually be 24" x 24" x50"!

Judging from audiophile102's pictures and the above information, the Invincible in question is likely a transitional piece made in 1916. BTW: the basic body style of the Invincible changes by the end of 1920, as shown in later catalogs.

I think the tonearm and reproducer assembly in this particular Invincible is incorrect (nickel-plated) and should likely be gold-plated as the rest of the trimmings are. Just make sure the nickel-plated assembly currently installed is of correct length, type, etc. before you think about re-plating them.

audiophile102, expect scans from later catalogs in a separate email from me.

Enjoy your fantastic phonograph,
Bob