Oak Sonora Grand

[Phono-Phan]

I am looking at getting an oak Sonora Grand. It is missing the tilt out record sleeves. Does anyone have a set for sale like the ones pictured?

[audiophile102]

The paper record sleeves that came with my Invincible literally crumbled in my hand when moved. I gently removed the remaining sleeves, but I'm storing them for reference should someone wish to duplicate them. Photo albums fit nicely and if you are lucky, you might locate a genuine Sonora album. I own one which I keep empty for display only. Congratulations on obtaining the beautiful Grand.

(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)

[gemering]

Yes, that's a real beauty!

Gene

[Phono-Phan]

Yes, that's a real beauty!

Gene

I don't have it yet. I just want to see if there is a set of tilt out record sleeves available. I am not sure that them being missing is a deal breaker yet.

[PeterF]

It’s not. I’ve had excellent usable originals and they’re not a very effective storage solution. Somebody’s done you a favor by removing them, frankly.

You should buy the machine. Sonoras from this era are florid and bombastic, but the motor is utterly exquisite and turbine-like in its smoothness.

Can’t see whether this one has a motor meter, which is a cool gadget. There are two eras of the bombe cabinets, distinguished by squared vs rectangular horn openings, and features like motor meters vary across them. Also on the middle of the range, the wooden tonearm was an extra cost option (some dealers retrofit them now, to enable a higher asking price), so you’re able to do that to this one if you want.

Plus: oak.

You don’t say what the asking price might be, but as this stuff falls from favor it must be pretty cheap compared to a few years ago. Let us know how you make out.

[Phono-Phan]

This one doesn't have the motor meter. I always thought those were very cool.

[PeterF]

Hmm, that’s too bad. The motor meter is quite clever, although really tough to synchronize/align once you have pulled off the motorboard to service the motor. The motor is bolted to the horn, and you access it from above by removing the motorboard.

The motors on the senior models are beautiful, and supposedly gold-played, and it’s tempting to make a kurtzmannesque glass motorboard so that it could be more readily admired.

[BillH_NJ]

I don’t have a Sonora like that, but I have yet to succeed in aligning both the motor meter and the speed control on my Sonora Chippendale when replacing the top board. Since the motor is mounted to the cabinet and the back of the cabinet is fixed I have not figured out how to efficiently see and position the board with the motor meter—I hesitate to call it the motorboard since that is not mounted on it. I need to manage to get both the motor meter shaft and the speed control shaft to line up properly while I drop it in. The motor meter is a neat idea, though.

Bill

[Raphael]

This one doesn't have the motor meter. I always thought those were very cool.

Ken,


Wooden tone arms were indeed originally an option for this machine. If you do get the Sonora, and decide to upgrade the tone arm, be careful. Some collectors try to pass off tone arms removed from later Sonora consoles as being compatible with the upright models, which they aren't.

Here's an example of how I got shafted by a member of this Forum a few years ago: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11690&hilit=sonora+tone+arm

good luck,

Raphael

[Phono-Phan]

Raphael,
If I do get this Sonora, I would leave it as is with the gold plated arm. The quest would be to find the tilt out record sleeves. The hunt is half the fun.
Thanks, Ken