My latest addition--a Pathéphone No. 120

[CarlosV]

Lovely machines--thanks for the photos! On the 18, how does the speed control work? I assume the extra hole adjacent to the crank, with the swinging cover, is for accessing it, but there's no fixed lever or knob. I've never seen an arrangement like that.

The speed control is done with the same crank used to wind up the motor. There is no knob or lever, you have to take out the crank and insert in the other hole, that has a little round cover to protect it from dust. It is a bit awkward, but provided you don't change speeds frequently, it works. Pathé utilized this system in some of its machines, I suppose to save some money.

[drh]

I keep telling myself I don't need it so you know what that means!

Do you have a link to the 180 that was for sale please? I presume it has sold now. Thanks!

As far as I can tell, it's still for sale. I feel like I'm contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or something , but here you go:

https://genevacollections.ch/listing/63 ... 860eeb695d

It's in Switzerland. From the looks of things, someone has messed with the tonearm to turn it into a lateral cut player. I know Pathé did sell adapters for the purpose, but this looks more like the work of one of those guys my restorer calls, collectively, "Uncle Bubba."

[drh]

The speed control is done with the same crank used to wind up the motor. There is no knob or lever, you have to take out the crank and insert in the other hole, that has a little round cover to protect it from dust. It is a bit awkward, but provided you don't change speeds frequently, it works. Pathé utilized this system in some of its machines, I suppose to save some money.

As my restorer has said, "Pathé is always a little different!" I've never heard of that system, but I guess there are more things in heaven and earth... For those of us with lots of Pathé records in both outside start and center start configurations, 80 RPM and 90-100 RPM respectively, I'd guess it would quickly become an annoyance in practice. Thanks for explaining it, though--I learned my "something new" for the day!

[CarlosV]

As my restorer has said, "Pathé is always a little different!" I've never heard of that system, but I guess there are more things in heaven and earth... For those of us with lots of Pathé records in both outside start and center start configurations, 80 RPM and 90-100 RPM respectively, I'd guess it would quickly become an annoyance in practice. Thanks for explaining it, though--I learned my "something new" for the day!

This is why Pathé's are the best machines to collect, never boring or repetitive!

[Steve]

There's an Italian Model 31 on French Ebay with large brass horn but the case although impressive has been eaten up by pesky wood worm. It's restorable!

[drh]

This is why Pathé's are the best machines to collect, never boring or repetitive!

True! That would make a wonderful "personal text," like my quotation from the Pathé demonstration record.

[Steve]

As my restorer has said, "Pathé is always a little different!" I've never heard of that system, but I guess there are more things in heaven and earth... For those of us with lots of Pathé records in both outside start and center start configurations, 80 RPM and 90-100 RPM respectively, I'd guess it would quickly become an annoyance in practice. Thanks for explaining it, though--I learned my "something new" for the day!

This is why Pathé's are the best machines to collect, never boring or repetitive!

This is so true. There are so many variations of certain types of machines that I'd swear they had one man in a factory knocking out machines entirely handmade and assembled by him!

[Steve]

I keep telling myself I don't need it so you know what that means!

Do you have a link to the 180 that was for sale please? I presume it has sold now. Thanks!

As far as I can tell, it's still for sale. I feel like I'm contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or something , but here you go:

https://genevacollections.ch/listing/63 ... 860eeb695d

It's in Switzerland. From the looks of things, someone has messed with the tonearm to turn it into a lateral cut player. I know Pathé did sell adapters for the purpose, but this looks more like the work of one of those guys my restorer calls, collectively, "Uncle Bubba."

Thank you. The winder is non original and the tonearm appears to have been altered (irreversibly?) so it's definitely a compromise machine. The seller believes it was the most expensive horn machine made by Pathé at the time - at 175 Francs, it most certainly wasn't! It was almost "budget line" at that point.

Yes, it's been Uncle Bubbered!

Ps - the price was 150F in 1914 anyway, not 175. In comparison the 120 was 120F.

By the way, drh, I believe the horn and elbow on your machine have been replaced with an earlier set from a smaller machine. The Model 120 should have the very tall elbow and 60cm diameter horn.

[drh]

By the way, drh, I believe the horn and elbow on your machine have been replaced with an earlier set from a smaller machine. The Model 120 should have the very tall elbow and 60cm diameter horn.

Good eye! Yes, they are replacements. I bought the machine from a French seller who was selling a (pink!) horn for it separately, and it did look larger. It was in very questionable shape, however, with lots of paint missing, I think a split seam, and rust, so I made the decision not to pursue it and pay for shipment of such a large, awkward, fragile item, at best a restoration project, across the Atlantic; instead, I fitted a Pathé horn that I already had on hand, purchased from someone here in the States through the forum precisely with the idea that one day I might find a Pathé open horn machine without its horn. Restorer Brett made a reducing collar for the purpose. If you'd like to see more about that, he put a brief video about it on YouTube (he does these videos for all the work he performs on old phonographs, including other work he's done on the 120 and on my Concert 20): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJfeItVg0jc

[edit] I'm not sure the pink horn was original, either. The back bracket came with a short segment of separate tubing inserted into the bulb/ball/whatever you call it, presumably itself an adapter.

[drh]

More on your sage observation

This is why Pathé's are the best machines to collect, never boring or repetitive!

Here's another case in point. I've never seen one quite like this before--a floor model that combines a Diffusor for vertical cut with a conventional diaphragm-type reproducer and internal horn for laterals.

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/226802611160?_s ... R4TU54vqZQ