What is this thing?

[briankeith]

What is this - model - make?

[HisMastersVoice]

It appears to be a Silvertone, but i think there may be some stuff missing. Lid perhaps? The reproducer and tonearm appear to have been replaced as well. On the other hand, I'm not a Silvertone expert....

Here is a similar machine: http://www.phonoland.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2035

[brianu]

yes, it's a silvertone. it didn't have a lid. but the tonearm and reproducer are definitely incorrect, probably from a later portable. the correct tonearm is narrow and straight with no curve. they're easy enough to find though.

[estott]

WQrong tone arm and missing the vertical cut converter that fit in that plate. Date is sort of 1917-1920, plus or minus. If it was around $50.00 I'd consider it and replace the arm.

[De Soto Frank]

The arm looks like those used in the "generic" portables of the 1940's.

[JohnM]

The dead-giveaways for this being a Silvertone are the bas-relief medallion on the side of the cabinet; and the plate on the top rear that holds the ball sapphire and conical diamond styli, as well as the vertical reproducer (or lateral, depending upon which one is being used at a given time). I fought with a woman on Craigslist who insisted her Silvertone was a "Pathé Edison" because those words are on that plate to indicate where to stow the respective stylus.

[estott]

The dead-giveaways for this being a Silvertone are the bas-relief medallion on the side of the cabinet; and the plate on the top rear that holds the ball sapphire and conical diamond styli, as well as the vertical reproducer (or lateral, depending upon which one is being used at a given time). I fought with a woman on Craigslist who insisted her Silvertone was a "Pathé Edison" because those words are on that plate to indicate where to stow the respective stylus.

Both of the holes on mine are just marked Jewel Stylus