Sonora Tabletop Find Today

[mattrx]

Today I picked up this Sonora tabletop. A friend found it for me and called- need as many friends like these as I can get! So far, I have not been able to find much information on this machine. Any help is appreciated. As can be seen in one of the photos, the horn winds around inside the machine before attaching to the wooden "bell". This elongated portion of the horn appears to be made of something like an early form fiberglass. I suppose this machine is Sonora's answer to the VV 1-70 or the like.

Motor runs well and quietly. Reproducer is a Sonora No. 5, and is pot metal with surface crasks, but sounds decent. Certainly no orthophonic. There is no autostop feature.

The dataplate is located under the turntable. This model appears to be a Plymouth by Sonora. A Google search yielded very little information.

If anyone can point me in the direction of some more detailed information on this machine, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

Matt

[Damfino59]

Well I can tell you it has components made by the Swiss firm of Paillard. Very smooth running motors. I like the built up felt washers to insulate the motor from the motor board. The fiberglass like material is similar to what I've seen in some early internal horn radio speakers. Maybe a combination of paper appliqué and fine burlap? It seems to be a substantial machine all together.

[emerson]

Nice Sonora, If you like Sonora's, there was a really nice one on Ebay --bow front on matching base cabinet for $200 in Florida. If I could, I would go for it---but funds and space prohibit me from attempting to own it.

[Edisone]

Thank your friend profusely, because this is really a fine and uncommon machine! I've been looking for a picture or reference to this model since you posted, but have found nothing. It couldn't have sold well at all, I think.


If it doesn't seem to be up to Orthophonic standards on electrical records, I bet it will play acoustics beautifully.

[mattrx]

Thank your friend profusely, because this is really a fine and uncommon machine! I've been looking for a picture or reference to this model since you posted, but have found nothing. It couldn't have sold well at all, I think.


If it doesn't seem to be up to Orthophonic standards on electrical records, I bet it will play acoustics beautifully.

Since it seems to me to be a machine in competition with a VV 1-70, I tried a Vicrola No. 4 on the tone arm. Fit great and sounded better than the Sonora. The Sonora has pot metal issues, is heavy, the the needle bar assembled seems primitive whe compared to Orthophonic Reproducers and the Sonora No 5 suffers from a loosely fitting thumb screw. The overall design of the machine seems to be primitiive, but trying hard to be progressive at the time. The Art Deco look to the cabinet smacks of the 1-70 and should hail from the later 20's. Maybe that the the Plymouth name will help date the machine in the long run.

Matt

[BillH_NJ]

I notice that the reproducer on this is labeled No. 5 with a B marking underneath that. The Philharmonic that I have has a reproducer with the same labeling and an Orthophonic reproducer will fit on the arm. The other Sonora Tonalic, a Concert, has a No. 5 without the B and has a different mounting. That arm with accept a Victor No.4 or No.2, so is smaller than the Philharmonic mount. I guess this means that there were at least 2 versions of the No.5 reproducer for different arms produced over the years. The reproducer on the Philharmonic does not contact the arm when raised and so just falls back onto the record or the platter since the curvature of the arm differs substantially from the Concert.

Bill

[estott]

Thank your friend profusely, because this is really a fine and uncommon machine! I've been looking for a picture or reference to this model since you posted, but have found nothing. It couldn't have sold well at all, I think.


If it doesn't seem to be up to Orthophonic standards on electrical records, I bet it will play acoustics beautifully.

Since it seems to me to be a machine in competition with a VV 1-70, I tried a Vicrola No. 4 on the tone arm. Fit great and sounded better than the Sonora. The Sonora has pot metal issues, is heavy, the the needle bar assembled seems primitive whe compared to Orthophonic Reproducers and the Sonora No 5 suffers from a loosely fitting thumb screw. The overall design of the machine seems to be primitiive, but trying hard to be progressive at the time. The Art Deco look to the cabinet smacks of the 1-70 and should hail from the later 20's. Maybe that the the Plymouth name will help date the machine in the long run.
Matt

This dates from the time when Sonora was experiencing financial issues. The company aquied the Federal radio company of Buffalo NY, was moving into the construction of radio cabinets, and severed connections with the Herzog Art Furniture company. By 1929 they were in receivership, by 1930 they were bankrupt. By 1938 they had reorganized as the Sonora Radio and Television Corporation

[epigramophone]

I bought my first Sonora, a c1920 "Melodie" table model, last month. Our very helpful friends here informed me that the definitive work on Sonora is R.J.Wakeman's book, which as an APS member I was able to read on their website. That alone was worth the cost of my subscription.

[BillH_NJ]

Yes, I have found Wakeman’s book to be very useful. I have six Sonoras in total. I wonder if the change in the reproducer mount for the No. 5 and arm were part of the move from the Reproducing Phonograph line to the Tonalic, since the Concert I have is not marked clearly and could be an earlier machine. It appears in both lists in 1926 and 1927, while the Philharmonic was a 1927 model.

Bill

[oltractor]

Very nice!