The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Does anyone know what this Sonora #5 Reproducer belongs on? It looks like it would be a later type
portable record player, but I don't know if Sonora even made Portables.

I think this might be from after 1938, from the Sonora Radio & Television Co. era.

estott wrote:I think this might be from after 1938, from the Sonora Radio & Television Co. era.

I was thinking anytime after 1930 also
I am trying to determine if someone can use it or if I should just put it in the unknown box!

It looks kinda roached out

These were Sonora's answer to the Orthophonic reproducer. They were introduced in 1925/1926 and were used on both portable machines and late acoustic era floor models. Sonora did make portables, both the earlier ones with the mica diaphragm (ca. before 1925) and the later ones with the metal diaphragm reproducers (ca. 1925 and later). I have one of the later portables and I must say it is a rather cheap looking setup. It is currently at the house of a friend, or I would post a picture. It doesn't really have a horn, just a straight-shot kind of hole from the end of the tonearm. But, it actually sounds pretty good! I should post a video There is one that just went unsold on eBay (it has been up forever and dropped from $150 to $28 over the past year). It might be relisted soon. These reproducers, from what I have seen on 3 of mine, and on Ebay, seem to show up in pretty poor condition most of the time. They are made of pot metal and they crack almost on every surface of the reproducer. I dared to try and take one apart, and I put it back together immediately because I was so scared it was going to crumble to dust! All 3 of mine in various states of disrepair all play pretty well as is. If you can find some way to epoxy the pieces to make a stronger casting, I'm sure it can be serviced and make a nice sounding reproducer. Sonora made very nice electric era (Orthophonic competitor) floor models. I have seen ones that are mid-size consoles, mid-size uprights, even a small class that looks like the child of an early Consolette and a Columbia 611. This is just my experience with Sonora (Tonalics?) I think that is what their line of late acoustic era phonographs were called.

There is one on YouTube that sounds fantatstic! This one is quite large, but it demonstrates what your soundbox can do. I believe the owner of this machine is on this forum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiw6L44KRM8

Oceangoer1 wrote:These were Sonora's answer to the Orthophonic reproducer. They were introduced in 1925/1926 and were used on both portable machines and late acoustic era floor models. Sonora did make portables, both the earlier ones with the mica diaphragm (ca. before 1925) and the later ones with the metal diaphragm reproducers (ca. 1925 and later). I have one of the later portables and I must say it is a rather cheap looking setup. It is currently at the house of a friend, or I would post a picture. It doesn't really have a horn, just a straight-shot kind of hole from the end of the tonearm. But, it actually sounds pretty good! I should post a video There is one that just went unsold on eBay (it has been up forever and dropped from $150 to $28 over the past year). It might be relisted soon. These reproducers, from what I have seen on 3 of mine, and on Ebay, seem to show up in pretty poor condition most of the time. They are made of pot metal and they crack almost on every surface of the reproducer. I dared to try and take one apart, and I put it back together immediately because I was so scared it was going to crumble to dust! All 3 of mine in various states of disrepair all play pretty well as is. If you can find some way to epoxy the pieces to make a stronger casting, I'm sure it can be serviced and make a nice sounding reproducer. Sonora made very nice electric era (Orthophonic competitor) floor models. I have seen ones that are mid-size consoles, mid-size uprights, even a small class that looks like the child of an early Consolette and a Columbia 611. This is just my experience with Sonora (Tonalics?) I think that is what their line of late acoustic era phonographs were called.

There is one on YouTube that sounds fantatstic! This one is quite large, but it demonstrates what your soundbox can do. I believe the owner of this machine is on this forum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiw6L44KRM8

Thank You for all this information. I need to take a close look and see if it is all cracked