The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi everyone,

My fiancee and I just picked up this Sonora phonograph from her parents. This was her grandfather's, and it had sat in the parents' basement for some time. I dug it out the other night and moved it to our house in our music room. I did not know what to expect, but it wound and played! I just received some new loud and soft needles, so I will be getting more use out of it real soon. I have a large collection of Italian 78s that were my grandparents (all four of my grandparents were born in Italy), so these will bring back some great memories.

As you can tell from the pictures, the cabinet is not in all that great shape. I have some questions about that and other things.
a) Where can I get replacement needle cups (is that the word?) next to the turntable? All three are missing.
b) What can I use to get the cabinet to shine again? I am hoping those white spots are just mildew. I think it is.
c) The legs are the suspect part. The front ones, the wheels are rusty and the piece of wood came off (I have both). In the rear, I have a stack of books holding it up because the legs broke off about where the wheels would go (but I have those pieces too). How can I restore that bottom part?
d) Where is the serial number on a Sonora? I would like to know the approximate date of this player. Fortunately, there is a sticker inside that says it came from this record store in New London, which is about 20 minutes away from us.

Thanks to any advice you can give! I have never owned a phonograph before and look forward to using this often.

Brian

Nice Sonora!

Now: first, for cleaning the cabinet, you should start with some non-pumice GoJo. That will do a good job of cleaning the accumulated gunk off the finish; then you can assess what you have to do to get the case up to your standard of acceptance.

As for the missing wood on the feet: do you have the broken pieces? It might be possible to glue them back on: otherwise, you'll have to reconstruct them with new wood. (That looks like mahogany, from what I can see). If you want to replace the castors, you may have to search for a set similar to what you have, or else go without (not a big deal, unless you're a stickler for authenticity).

Now for the mechanism: while it does play, it is always a good idea to thoroughly clean and re-lubricate an approximately century-old motor. Unless you are accustomed to dealing with large mainsprings, it might be best to send them to a professional (some of whom are to be found in the 'Links' section here). These links are also a good place to find replacements for your needle cups.

Finally, you should have the reproducer rebuilt, to get the best out of your records. Once again, the 'Links' section is your friend.

BTW: which direction are you from NL? (I am assuming you mean CT): I live about the same distance away.

Bill

I bet the fiance would love for you to turn that into a nice liquor cabinet.

First, welcome to the forum and congratulations on receiving a family heirloom. Family possessions such as your Sonora are far more valuable as a connection to the past than as market value. My advise is carefully clean it with GoJo hand cleaner and 0000 fine steal wool. Don't be too aggressive with the cleaning. The goal is to preserve the existing finish. Restoring the reproducer is simple and will make a huge improvement in the sound it makes. Sonora was considered an off-brand with Victor, Columbia and Edison dominating the market so it might take some time to find the needle cups. Check Ebay for them. The missing veneer repair will require skills which you might not have. Just remember, you are just the care taker for future generations of your family so take it slow and record your actions. The phonograph is sort of a time machine evoking emotions of the past. Preserve and protect you heirloom. Here is my Sonora which I will never sell. http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =2&t=21672

For the missing needle cups, I'd first try George Vollema of Great Lakes Antique Phonograph.

http://www.victroladoctor.com/

George has warehouses full of parts machines and I have found his prices to be very reasonable.

Clay

All,

Thank you for the responses.

Bill (Lucius): We live in Old Lyme. Whereabouts are you? And where do you get your GoJo? I looked online and it seems like GoJo is pumice-based. Would like to find the non-pumice kind at a Home Depot, if that is where it is sold (or some place such as Benny's, since we both are in southern New England). I have the broken pieces for each leg; however, I would be leery about gluing the back ones. It split down the middle (think of like a wedge that fits under a door to keep it open. That is what both look like. I have a feeling that someone tried pushing this and they used too much force). I would prefer to keep it looking authentic, so long as it does not cost an arm and a leg. Is there anyone in our neck of the woods who works on these? I will check out the links section; thanks!

Wolfe: As we are both teachers, I am fine with that addition!

Audiophile102: Thanks for sharing your Sonora. It looks beautiful. How can I tell my model? There is a document on the bottom with a bunch of trademark dates around 1916-17, but that is all I can find. We intend to keep and use this often. I put in both new loud and soft needles tonight and was pleasantly surprised hearing how nice it sounded.

Clay: Thanks very much for sharing. Looking at his site now.

Thanks for any further advice you may have. Between this and our Steinway Duo-Art reproducing grand that slowly is being restored and played a roll last week for the first time in a few decades, it has been quite the musical discovery in this house.

Brian

I believe you have the Sonora Nocturne model. Your looks like my one. Except mine is in oak. It is one of my favorite phonographs. I've tried different variations of Sonora sound boxes on mine. The standard model works quite well. It happens to be my player for Pathé discs. One thing missing from yours are the heavy papers leaves to store records. It's no great loss as mine are rotted out and would make terrible storage! You can at least store records in yours with new sleeves.

Glenn

I live to the east, in Mystic.

I can find non-pumice GoJo at the local Tru-Value: it shouldn't be too hard to locate.

If you use something like Gorilla Glue™, and clamp it well, the feet should be good (just scrape off the excess after it cures). If you want to replace the castors, you can do so: you can also leave them off if you wish.

Bill

I find Gojo at my local Autozone store. If you can't find it, GooP without pumice is pretty much the same. I find that in the automobile department at Walmart or at Harbor Freight.

Good luck
Andreas

Unlike Victor machines, Sonora Phonograph Company records did not survive so have the serial number will not help in your research. Best place to look for information is searching this forum. Next you might try this. https://archive.org/details/talkingmachinewo12bill Best of luck with your restoration.