Sonora made external horn phonos?

[phonophan79]

Hey Guys -

Did Sonora make external horn phonographs?

This looks like your run-of-the-mill crapophone.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0338267662

This one had a rigid tone arm.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0338273175

These machines aren't very eye pleasing if they are real. Can anyone shed some light?

[Zeppy]

I'm quite sure Sonora never made an external horn machine. The earliest Sonoras were a rather plain table top that had some sort of contraption to get around Victor patents (some feed screw mechanism set up I vaguely recall). there is a picture of an early one in "the complete talking machine."

Even the dates the seller provides for the existence of the Sonora company should give rise to some serious questions. By 1919, we're well into the time of internal horn machines, and certainly well beyond the time of using a rigid tone arm.

It's someone's basement project, and not a very convincing one at that, if you ask me.

[estott]

Both junk, incorporating a few old parts. Aside from the Sonora plates the back mount has a Starr soundbox and the front mount has a canadian-made Mason & Risch soundbox.

[Neophone]

D.,

Those are two very poor Frankenphones! The first one has a Starr reproducer. and a very nasty looking weld where the back bracket meets the elbow if my eyes don't deceive me. The second one looks like it was specifically designed to wreck records! Even the little Columbia he's offering isn't completely right. It's certainly not in "Original Condition" I'd guess that seller won't be around for long.

Regards,
John

EDIT:
Heh Heh!, Great minds and all. E. Is that reproducer on the second one supposed to be fitted for vertical play? I couldn't tell, it looks a bit odd.

[Fredrik]

At least they're playing a very typical early 1920s Capitol recod on it...

Fredrik

[Silvertone]

These two machines on ebay are of course Crapophones, but believe it or not, Sonora did sell outside horn machines. It was very early in the company's history, before they became the successful company that we know today. These very early machines were made by Paillard in Switzerland. I have never seen one in person, but I have seen an ad for one.

[solophoneman]

I have an original Sonora Brochure showing the phonographs that were offered. There were no external horn machines in their lineup. These are phonies!! Tried and true genuine CRAPOPHONES or Craponolas take your pick. They should be chopped up and put in the scrap metal and wood pile for history's sake. May the ghost of Frankenphone haunt and torment the seller!!