Could you help me identify this phonograph please ?

[Brad]

Looking at the pictures of the inside, the wood looks too new and not oxidized. I would expect to see oxidation and grease/dust inside a cabinet this old. I would also expect to see excess hyde glue oozing from the corner blocks other glued joints.

What do you folks think?

[estott]

Possible, and the stain pattern is a bit odd, though if the case is new someone did a very nice job of it.

[gramophoneshane]

I dont know about Polyphon, but I know Thorens did make some cheap motors, but they also made some extremely good quality motors too.

Yes, certainly. But while sales figures of high class machines, competing against the Gramophone Co., remained small, hundreds of thousands of cut-price machines with cheap motors flooded the European market. Hence you find much more of the latter - like the Polyphon in question.

Cut price machine doesn't always mean cheap motor though. The Thorens made motor in my Rexonola 60 is of very good quality, as is the one in my Tonaphone. Most Paillard motors I've come across (and own) have been good quality too. They are usually fully nickel plated, bearings & gears are precision cut & mesh nicely, and many of the bigger motors use springs with the same guage steel as "better" brands.
As far as I can tell, most of the "cheap" Swiss motors with flimsy pillars & plates ended up in portables of the late teens & 20s, and those with cast iron frames are seldom of poor quality.
I guess it really boils down to what a person perceives as defining a "cheap" motor.
I think if a motor can run smoothly and quietly through one side of a 12" disc per spring, then there's no reason to label it as a cheap motor. It's just a motor, the same as any other.

[Sidewinder]

Looking at the pictures of the inside, the wood looks too new and not oxidized. I would expect to see oxidation and grease/dust inside a cabinet this old. I would also expect to see excess hyde glue oozing from the corner blocks other glued joints.

What do you folks think?

Hi Brad

The machine is good. Polyphon machine with polyphon motor & polyphon soundbox. Bet you no one knows that Arena was a polyphon manufactured soundbox? So all the pieces there correctly belong to each other. Also given the fact that the case was sealed, it can remain fairly clean - apart from the bit of grease splatter that you see. And luckily no woodworm!

Thorens after WW1 began to supply motors to manufacturers around Europe, and the pillar plate versions are very prolific. Probably every larger town had their own woodworker who would make cabinets and assemble machines from bits bought from various manufacturers.

There were also many German companies selling brackets and horns as items that went to small assembly companies. Sometimes it is difficult to see the wood through the trees, but there were a few major manufacturers that are all but forgotten today. Also to recognise the models / manufacturers one does have to have seen a lot of machines. Pity that even the larger producers did not put their company logo on the machines. Symphonion was another German company that post music box made some very decorative horn machines.

Looking at the 1912 Polyphon range on ROMFI - there are like 50 different styles just of horn machines - what an inventory they must have carried! Just imagine if Apple decided to produce the IPOD in 50 different case styles / varieties?

[wiaderko]

Helo,

Thank You all for the information! I admire Your wide knowledge! feels like I found my new hobby...harm that is so expensive:)

I'm sending a few more pictures to complete discussion and to make sure about the color and genuine of the gramophone etc.

Thanks once again! I'm going to watch the gramophone myself, and i hope it will not sound like a diesel engine:)

Tnakns,

Paul

[gramophone78]

Like Polyphon,Thorens & Paillard made many motors the two Swiss companies were later joined by marriage and continued for many years.They liked to experiment with different ideas of power.Electric,Hot-Air,etc...