Pictures of My Sonora Jacobean De Luxe art case Robespierre

[gramophone78]

That is very correct regarding Paillards parts being sold to many other company's. I myself thought some one would want to know what the "LS" stood for on the motor. It is however lacquered brass but, that can be mistaken for gold.In my cataloge after the "L" you then go into electric (120v) or hot-air power. I can post the page that shows just the motors for sale. Paillard had a cataloge (I have one) that is all back brackets & tone arms that you could buy to put on any machine you liked.Here is the cat. cover. Notice the trade mark is the same as what is on the motor casting??.Here is a unreal arm you could have bought back then. Has anyone seen one of these???.

[Phonofreak]

Victrolaman, That is a really nice Art Case Sonora. Congrats on you find. A few years ago, I got lucky with an Art Case Sonora myself. I was at an antique store and saw this console model. The legs were cut off to "modernize" it. UGGHH!!!!!!! I looked at it closer and saw the case was fancily carved in the Gothic pattern. The arm was carved in the Gothic pattern, also. I was going to buy if to part it out, after even closer examination, i noticed that the motor board had the motor meter and the same set up as the Supreme. The motor is the same one shown in the pictures of this Sonora. I then realized that this was an Art Case Gothic Sonora. The price was pretty high and I talked the dealer down to $300.00 for it on lay away. I pointed out all of the faults, and she accepted my offer. I contacted several collectors that specialized in catalogs and this machine turned out to be a Sonora Gothic Deluxe Normandy model from 1924. I got photocopies of the page and took it to my favorite wood worker and he made scale plans and recreated the leg and shelf assembly. When he was done. the machine looked like original. All he charged was $400.00. Yes, $700.00 may be high for a console, but it was worth it to me. That's about the only console that I ever care to own. I still have to put the motor board and other parts, but other projects got in the way. When I get it all assembled, I will post pictures.
Harvey Kravitz

[estott]

That is very correct regarding Paillards parts being sold to many other company's. I myself thought some one would want to know what the "LS" stood for on the motor. It is however lacquered brass but, that can be mistaken for gold.In my cataloge after the "L" you then go into electric (120v) or hot-air power. I can post the page that shows just the motors for sale. Paillard had a cataloge (I have one) that is all back brackets & tone arms that you could buy to put on any machine you liked.Here is the cat. cover. Notice the trade mark is the same as what is on the motor casting??.Here is a unreal arm you could have bought back then. Has anyone seen one of these???.Paillard Parts Cataloge.JPG[/attachment]

That is very similar, but not identical, to the arms used by Gilbert. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o64-tB6Y4Ts

[gramophone78]

Estott,Thanks for that link. Sorry we are going off topic a bit but, that is a cool arm on that Gilbert. I never heard of it. I would think that this cat. I have is from the 20's to the 30's. However, they are still selling outside horn back brackets,elbows and horns?????.If it is from the 20's.....that will fit with the matching trade mark logo on the motor in the Sonora and the cat. cover.

[antique1973]

I generally avoid consoles and offbrand models but I must say that if
your model came up in my neighborhood I would make an exception! In fact
I would love to have a beauty like that in my collection. I can see
how the motor can be mistaken for gold plating, it looks like gold to me.
I am curious though, does lacquer degrade after so many years? If it did,
and the motor is brass, it seems as if some oxidation/patina would occur.
Nice machine, thanks for posting the pics!

[Victrolaman]

Well all i know is, in the original ad it does say it is gold plated in the catalog, so i have to go by what it says, maybe the outside housing isnt but im sure the motor and gears are as stated. I mean I can only go by what it says.

[larryh]

This motor is a Paillard "L" motor also known as a Apollo # 14 motor. It has a play time of 40 minutes and was the biggest spring motor they made.It is made of lacquered brass not gold plated.Paillard supplied Sonora with most of their hardware and motors because of the low cost factor.The motor in your machine is a later version called the "LS" that is cast in one of the cast housings.

100_6871.JPG

Way back in the early 60's I had a Bombe American Walnut Sonora with the same tone arm. On the turn table it had a gauge that told how many records it had played and would play. If memory servers it counted up to 12 records. I don' t see this feature on this machine, are you familiar with it?


Larry

[larryh]

I think it must have something to do with the spring timer/counter, but as I've never seen one in person, I have no idea how the mechanism operates.
I guess it takes 40-45 mins for the small cog to move along the long gear, and its position would be relevant to the numbers on the timer?
It's certainly a pretty cool feature from a Swiss company that many collectors view as cheap and nasty.

Shane, I think this is the counter I am referring too in the machine I once had.

Larry

[Victrolaman]

Larry,
It does have this feature, if you look at the motor, there is a extra threaded gear there.. On the motor plate there is a meter gauge, you cant see the face to well from the camera flash, but thats what that is. Mine goes 45 mins on 1 full crank, and plays up to 15 10" Records

[phonophan79]

I generally avoid consoles and offbrand models

Sonora is off-brand?