The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Just brought home a 'desk' phonograph with no brand ID. It's definitely not a Columbia. Any thoughts? Runs great, quiet and smooth, and the reproducer is OK - needs new gaskets.

Any thoughts on make and model? I'm thinking Sonora..??

Thanks! CDB

Made by many company's. There has been a near mint "McLagan" made model for sale here on CL for "months". Unless you have the space or need for a "desk"......a though sale....IMHO.

Appears to be this model. I found a couple examples listed on the liveauctioneers site. One of the listings labels it as a Seeburg unit.
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/116 ... phonograph
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/5243076

Thanks! A search of LIBROLA shows it was a desk made by Seaburg apparently specially produced to house a phonograph. Phonograph manufacturers could install their machines in the desk. The 2 pieces referenced each has a different tone arm and they are both different from the one I have. As was mentioned earlier, a lot of companies must have put their machines in this desk. Cool! Seems the grills on the 2 doors have been replaced with simple wood panels on my machine. The 2 other desks picture both have the same grills, probably standard with the desk by Seaburg.

Thanks! CDB

The taper-tube & soundbox in the blonde machine look to be Columbia in origins.

The taper-tube and soundbox in the first machine look similar to Sonora hardware ?

The first one isn't Sonora hardware, it looks more like Heinmann to me. The one Cliff has also looks like a Heinmann tonearm, although the motor might be a Swiss motor, hard to say without seeing a photo of the motor itself.

Sean

Kind of neat. Do you plan to restore it?

Clay

OrthoSean wrote:The first one isn't Sonora hardware, it looks more like Heinmann to me. The one Cliff has also looks like a Heinmann tonearm, although the motor might be a Swiss motor, hard to say without seeing a photo of the motor itself.

Sean

Here are some pics of the motor. Looks a lot like one I just pulled from a Sonora console.

CDB

FloridaClay wrote:Kind of neat. Do you plan to restore it?

Clay

I'm going to pretty it up a bit. I don't think you could call it a restoration. The motor runs great so I won't be fixing that. The grills in the doors have been replaced with plain wooden panels, don't think I'm going to change them, either. I'll install new gaskets in the reproducer, seems to be in good shape otherwise, with the exception of a crack through one of the screw holes in the top 'ring'. That doesn't seem to be too big an issue, though. The metal parts polished up very nicely. I'll get some pics after the new gaskets are installed. Might put some 'Restor-A-Finish' and wax on the desk surfaces. Not going to put a lot more money into it, just time.

CDB

Looks like a Swiss motor, but I'll confess to not being that familiar with Sonora motors, so I can't say it's the same type they used. I know Sonora used mostly Paillard motors, if not always. That tonearm and reporducer is definitely Heinmann though.

Sean