The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Well, I've been collecting 78s for over 45 years now, and I'd have to agree there's not much on the Sonora label. At least not for this jazz collector. There are a few good ones though. I've owned this one for at least 30 years, and I won't part with it. One of my favorites.

Steve

I have several Sonora records issued in the 40s. The consistent characteristic on all of them is the poor quality shellac that makes even pristine prints noisy and crackly. Some of the music is quite good, like the Coleman Hawkins sides.

Yes they seem to use the same low quality shellac mixture as some Capitols, Commodores, Majestics, Musicrafts... What a pity. Al these brands have good music from the 40s, but sound painful! Or the mixture has aged worse that the earlier records, it could be. It was the late war and postwar years, and then they switched to the vinylites... A pain for users of acoustic machines with bamboo needles,or steel... They only play well on modern equipment. European records continued to be the same more or less, and they're playable on acoustic gramophones. Spanish shellac was pretty good then. Also French laminated are good.

There was a Sonora record c.1910 that was vertical cut I've never seen one .They're very rare.Has anyone heard of them or seen one?edisonplayer.

Maybe in Nauck's catalogues there is any... Nauck now carries a dedicated section for rare labels.

I've yet to find a single one of those vertical Sonora records. I do have one Empire record which, if I'm reading right, is derived from those early Sonora masters.