Interesting 1940's portable

[bbphonoguy]

I notice the seller's description states the blue covering is "in tact". Does that mean this machine won't do anything insulting?

[Neophone]

Ortho_Fan,

Yes you beat me to the punch (not unexpected, considering I've been MIA ) That's the first thing that came to mind-the Vitaphone system.

Phonophan79, yes I think what some others are commenting on is that there were a number of electrically motored acoustic machines made in the forties and fifties even if this isn't one. I have seem a few other portables with various attempts to visually update the design to various degrees.

I would be very interested in hearing on of these.

Regards,
John

[blacknwhite]

Hi All,

Ortho Fan got it exactly right with his description and the diagrams he drew earlier in this thread.

This is an all-mechanical machine, and the sound is directly linked from needle to a mid-sized cardboard speaker cone inside the case, by a rod running the length of the arm, which twists with the needle vibrations.

I posted a video of it playing an electrically recorded 78 from about the same period as the player (late 1940's I presume), with an upright bass fiddle jazz solo, which comes through amazingly rich and strong: "A credenza in a suitcase": (Please forgive the slight speed flutter; my next order of business is to give the motor a full servicing.)

I had never seen one of these players before I got mine; I found this thread in a Google search for more info on the machine:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzU1AX3QOsw

Regards,
- Bob

[Odeon]

This is really great sounding for a acoustic portable - almost a little sad that my chance to find such a phonograph here in europe show a tendency to 0%.....

Is there a chance to see some photos of the "speaker" under the deck ?

[recordo]

I love the sound on that machine!

I have a 1940s Tecnico Aristocrat radiogram with an almost identical looking tonearm - but mine is electric.