The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Just brought home a nice little Cecilian portable. Dusted it off and it seems to work OK, might be missing one of the brackets used to secure the tone arm during transport, otherwise, I'm happy. Watch it play on YouTube at:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgQi-JTk2iQ

CDB

Didn't expect the sound reflector! The ability to lower volume is rare in a portable, too. Nifty. Maybe some new gaskets in the soundbox? Sounded a little rattle-y, or was that due to the camera's microphone?

Interesting machine. Very quiet motor.

Clay

Very similar to what I had, except mine had the horn & arm compartment in the back with a lid that closed over it. Yours is quite nifty.

Cecilian phonographs were mainly sold through Montgomery Wards catalogs I think. They also had some very nice upright cabinet models also.

Interesting. When I saw the topic heading I thought it would look similar to this one I had a few years ago. My first phonograph actually. I enjoyed the portability. Having a not-so-common brand makes you appreciate the Victors and others with the abundance of available parts.

Nice machine you have there Cliff. It is a good looking machine with a lot of class. You are lucky the pot metal parts haven't swelled or got broken. Can the reproducer swivel to play Pathé records?
Harvey Kravitz

Cecilians can be nice machines but Montgomery Ward doesn't seem to have moved them like Sears sold Silvertones. Portables are the exception - you find the later 20's Cecelian Melophonic portables pretty frequently.

This one is considerably more interesting.

Phonofreak wrote:Nice machine you have there Cliff. It is a good looking machine with a lot of class. You are lucky the pot metal parts haven't swelled or got broken. Can the reproducer swivel to play Pathé records?
Harvey Kravitz

The reproducer swivels smoothly to play either Pathé or lateral records.

CDB

It cleaned up very nicely. The needle bar was a bit loose, tightened that up a bit, sounds a little better. Still sounds a bit ragged. Might have to rebuild the reproducer, as suggested.