Love the off-brands

[briankeith]

Currently while surfing EBay looking for "off-brand" phonographs, I came across ths unusual Arionola with the tone arm mounted out front instead of to the side or in the back. And this very unusual and un-named tall upright being sold in Canada. ( EBay 320997958777 ) I am always on the hunt for these "off-brand" models. I find them much more interesting than the Edisons, Victors, and Columbias. But they are hard to find repair parts. I am still seeking a good tonearm assembly for my Charles W. Shonk Mag-Ni-Tone and having no luck what-so-ever, even at the shows.

[m0xiemama]

I really love the off brands too. If I ever own a barn to keepy machines in I would like to have a vast collection of lesser companies. They really had some cool styles. But you are right about locating parts. My Rishell had electrical tape all over the tone arm elbow to make it work. lol

[JamesJW]

Those are pretty neat! Its always the off brands that seem to have the most uniqueness to them. Ever since I bought my first Columbia Grafonola, I always loved Columbia, but I just recently (like, 8 hours ago) picked up a pretty nice Silvertone. Love em or hate em, ill have to admit that its got a clarity and fineness that my grafonola doesnt, plus it wont run you out of the room, if you know what I mean. its finely made with much more carving done on it too.

[briankeith]

I have a great love for "off-brands". I have traded and/or sold some very nice Victrolas and Edisons just to pick up a very unusual off-brand machine like my "Rex". Besides the big three, Edison, Victor, and Columbia, I would also not consider the following five as off-brand phonographs: Brunswick, Cheney, Pathé, Silvertone, and Sonora. Opinions?

[m0xiemama]

Brian, I think you are right, they aren't considered off brands because they had were widely sold. Tim Gracyk's site adds Aeolian to that list too.

[estott]

The Arionola machine is a nice example of the reflex principal- the sound bounces off the inside of the horn-like reflector. Most of their machines were rather cheap and compact lidless table models but they made some upscale models like the one you illustrate- some with elegant inlay.

[Orthophonic]

Brian, what brand is the first one? I have one like it that is flat on the sides and top and rounded on the front and rear. The middle door over the horn has a porforated metal insert with a picture on it; the bottom is simply open without record slots as your machine has. It has a lamp that turns on when you open the playing door and it runs off batteries. Thanks much!
John P

[briankeith]

I have no clue what brand the big upright is with the fantastic grille cloth - It's being sold in Canada and I posted the EBay item number in case anyone wanted to look at all the photos the seller has posted with pretty good detail. Maybe we should start a catagory of just off-brand machines on this forum? It seems to me that every talking machine collector is well educated on the Edison, Victor, and Columbia machines, but there are so so many of these fantastic looking off-brands still popping up at flea markets, antique shops, and especially EBay. A PHOTO data base would help even more in regards to the off-brand machines. It would make it much easier to identify a off-brand using a good photo enhanced data base.

[briankeith]

The unusual grille work.

[Orthophonic]

That looks a lot like mine; it is a metal grill.