Another off-brand "orthophonic"?

[OrthoFan]

i did overhaul the soundbox, the tone chamber seemed to be in very good condition. the cast iron part of the tone chamber was kinda a curved shape. the diaphragm was a thicker aluminum than the orthophonics and viva-tonal. maybe that fact accounted for the difference in bass output, as a thicker diaphragm would be stiffer. it was probably 3 inches, larger than the orthophonic.

I'm wondering, is it like the Tru-Phonic model that is illustrated in this post string: Click Me!

[frankt]

from what i can see, they are very similar. the tonearm looks identical.

[larryh]

I think the Detroit one is a larger model however than the one first shown.

[larryh]

Oddly we have one coming up at a sale here on Saturday.. Will be curious to see what it is? Wasn't Cecilian a brand unto it self also, or were they always a Wards line? All I need is another phonograph.

Larry

[Neophone]

Folks,

A handsome little console. I have heard the name before but I think this is the first "phonic" example I've seen. Named after St. Cecilia the patron saint of musicians no doubt.

The motor looks small enough to fit in a portable as well as the full size machine. I hope someone saves it from the trash heap. Was Cecilian actually a Canadian concern? I found this doing a search for images:

Roll Back the Years, by Edward Moogk, National Library of Canada, 1975 states on page 63: "Also in Toronto (during 1917?), the Cecilian Concertphone made its debut, with distribution handled by the Musical Instruments Ltd. at 247 Yonge Street..." Betty Minaker-Pratt contributes: "Wayne Kelly's book, Downright Upright, p. 120 says that Stanley took over the Cecilain Piano Co. in 1922, but then went out of business two years later when Mason & Risch bought out their stock. " Moogk, page 91, agrees that : "The general economic situation [of 1921-22?] was still affecting the value of the dollar, and at least one piano and talking machine firm, the Cecilian Company, was taken over by Frank Stanley, a veteran of the player-piano business." Betty Minaker-Pratt contributes the following: "Cecilian Piano Co. Toronto, 1904-22. There is an advertising cover stamped 1917 for the Cecilian Co., Salesrooms 247 Yonge St./Factory 1189 Bathurst (just north of Dupont)."

From The Canadian Antique Phonograph Project site.

Ortho_Fan, that child treasure chest phono is a real gem! Jim I agree I'd love to see a book or two on the plethora of off-brand machines, both in the "phonic' era and the 1919 patent expiration boom. Amphion was a Canadian machine? I have a couple of graphics of Amphion I've been meaning to post.

Regards,
John

[larryh]

Well yet another machine in mechanically poor shape. The cabinet had been refinished and could have been pretty easily saved, but the tone arm (which must have been a real weak point) was in sad shape. It wobbled about in the rear support and was very loose. The reproducer had a splash of solder in the rear where the needle bar would connect. It seemed someone had added that to me. When we tried to play it you could barely hear it standing right in front of it. I am guessing between the loose tone arm and poor reproducer it was shot more or less without a new arm and reproducer. If it had gone cheap, at least to me, I might have considered trying to save it, but chances of getting a good one together seems poor. There was another Cecilian on ebay where that arm was laying in the top as if it had also come out of its holder. So evidently that was a real weak point in construction.

Naturally the auctioneer (who truthfully doesn't know anything about them), proclaimed it played beautifully. So a couple people ran it up to 150.00. I feel sorry for the person that bid on it thinking they were going to listen to it! It was a nice small size and would be fun to own, but not in the condition it was in. The viva tonal machine of a similar size I saw last year would have been perfect, but the sellers daughter refused to let the auction it so I missed a chance there.

Here are a couple shots of it. I guess I didn't get a very good close up of the poor arm, but trust me it was bad..

[estott]

Rather a shame- looks as if it was an attractive machine when new. At least it shows what sort of horn to expect in these machines.

[larryh]

Yes, I would agree that most likely if everything were working right it might sound about as well as the Consolette or 4-7 machines? I have never heard a consolette in a home setting, but a few in shops seemed as though the quality was pretty good for the smallest phonograph.

[Neophone]

Larry,

A straight horn Consolette will blow you out of a small room. It is an amazing little machine.

Regards,
John

[larryh]

I meant to ask here and forgot till I saw the Crapophone thread with the thorens electrical era reproducer.. This Melophonic had a reproducer marked as made by "Audak", I think of New York? I have seen others of these Audak reproducers over the years.. I wonder if that too was a replacement or if it might just have been how they assembled these machines from standard parts available? Anyone know who Audak was?

Larry