HRENOLA

[HuntsItAll]

Hello everyone. First off I'm new to the forum and look forward to learning from you all. I collect Victrolas and old radios and such. Today I purchased something that has me completely baffled so I'm hoping someone here can help me. I purchased what looks like a Victrola but it has a metal plaque on it that reads HRENOLA made by Frank Hren & Co. Chicago ILL. I attached a few pics of it. I can't find anything on it at all except the company was based out of Chicago back in the late 1800's into the early 1900's and it was a wood working/construction company. It's in beautiful condition, never been restored and came with a large box full of old 78's. The kid said it was passed down through the family to him but he has no interest in it. Thanks for your help!!!

[52089]

Welcome to the forum. I don't have anything specific to tell you about a Hrenola, sorry. I did want to point out that although "Victrola" has become a generic word, it does have a specific meaning, which is an inside horn phonograph made by the Victor Talking Machine Company.

I also wanted to note that your picture shows a Pathé vertical disk, which is completely correct based on the way your reproducer is set up. Do you have the correct sapphire stylus to play these Pathé discs? If you use needles, you will damage the record, and they won't sound as good.

Also, does your reproducer head rotate to play lateral cut records, like conventional 78s? I can't tell from your photos.

Thanks for posting the photos. We'll look forward to seeing more!

[HuntsItAll]

Thank you for the reply. I had no clue about what you had mentioned. I'm still pretty new to this so I had never even heard of a Sapphire Stylus. It appears to have a regular steel needle and yes the reproducer has a small knob on the side that I'm assuming is for changing the angle of it. I loosened the knob but the reproducer doesn't move and I'm afraid of applying too much pressure and snapping it.

[phonogfp]

Welcome to the forum!

You're wise to avoid applying too much pressure to your machine's sound box. You might try putting a little penetrating oil on the joint and letting it soak overnight. That might free it up. Your sound box is currently in position to play vertically-recorded discs, but these are seldom played with a steel needle. For most discs (laterally-recorded), you'll need to swivel your sound box so the diaphragm is exactly perpendicular to the record surface.

Here's an article you may find helpful:

http://www.antiquephono.org/basic-antiq ... onal-tips/

Your Hrenola is one of many hundreds of brands which sprouted during the teens and early twenties. Collectors today refer to them as "Off Brands," and the genre represents an interesting phenomenon of the period. Here's an interesting article about them listing over 450 known brands, but until now your Hrenola was unknown!

http://www.antiquephono.org/brand-talki ... j-wakeman/

Happy reading!

George P.

[Curt A]

Congratulations on your purchase... I think it's a great looking machine and you now have the distinction of owning the only documented Hrenola! The sapphire stylus that has been referred to for playing Pathé records is obtainable for $50 or less and is a permanent needle that is used over and over again. Steel needles are for playing "normal" 78s and should be changed after each play... they are easily obtained in quantity on eBay and from other sources. Your machine is a great machine since it is able to play all types of records, including the thick Edison Diamond Discs, but for those you will need a diamond stylus, which are more expensive but still available.

[Curt A]

One more thing, regarding your reproducer. As George mentioned, penetrating oil will probably work to loosen it up - when facing it, the reproducer rotates to the right. Once you free it up, you should disassemble the rotating neck from the tonearm and use fine sandpaper to reduce the contact points inside and out, as the potmetal has swollen over time. You might also want to learn to rebuild your reproducer with new rubber gasket material, since the old rubber tends to harden over time. There is plenty of info on this site and on the internet about rebuilding a reproducer and it is a good thing to learn, easy to do and will improve the sound quality of your machine.

[HuntsItAll]

Thank you so much George for the advice and articles. I've done some research over night and have found that this person Frank Hren has a park named after him in Morton Grove ILL. which is a suburb of Chicago. I also found an ad for a HRENOLA in a January 1918 Slovakian newspaper out of Chicago. Very interesting!!!

[HuntsItAll]

Thanks Curt for the advice, it's greatly appreciated. Last night behind the grill I found an old bag full of centers for 45's. This is getting rather interesting. lol

[Curt A]

Interesting fact: the HREN building was on the same location as the current Museum of Broadcast Communications at the corner of Kenzie and N. State St., Chicago directly across from the old iconic brick building with the water tower on the roof.

[Curt A]

HREN is a Slovenian name and appears in Chicago numerous times. The name that seems to be associated with HREN phonographs is Frank Hren, since the address is the same and he apparently is a wood worker. If this is the same Frank Hren, he also was associated with the Yugoslav Socialist Federation of Chicago from 1914-1917. There may be more to this story and the phonographs may have been sold mainly to the ethnic market.