The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hey folks,
I've already restored a nice, early Edison Home (red label, 4 clip) a Victrola VV-IXX that belonged to my girlfriends Grandmother. Last night I picked up both the Pathé and a gorgeous Decca Salon 130. The Decca is in perfect condition and I felt blessed to stumble across it. A little oil and it's playing great.

The Pathé however has no serial # plate, it doesn't appear to even have a place where one would have been attached. This machine is keeping it's secrets and there is virtually no identifying info on it. All I can find is "Pathé" on the inside of the lid and on the reproducer, which has a needle in it but looks like maybe is should have the sapphire stylus. The motor is a Heineman P5001.

The straight sound tube seems like it must also be a hint, along with the upper, front doors which open to a plaster or papermache(?) horn. I can see no evidence of any sort of covering having been in front of the horn.

Does anyone have any idea if this is an American or French unit? When it was made? Any info would be appreciated.

It is a US Pathé, the box is of the Actuelle, adapted to a regular tonearm.

Yep, that's an Actuelle cabinet alright. It's designed to play Vertical Pathés, not lateral records like that Victor.

The tonearm is also meant to be at the top of the record, not the side. Not sure if it was originally made like this, I've never seen an Actuelle without its cone design. It is a very nice cabinet alright!

The Actuelle sales were disappointing and Pathé converted cabinets to try and recover costs

I'm cringing looking at the needle pointing INTO the record.

clevelander wrote:I'm cringing looking at the needle pointing INTO the record.

I was just about to post the same thing. I think the reproducer is in that position for the sake of a better photo angle. Nice machine, though. I'd love to hear it.

Thanks for the info everyone. There were screw markings suggesting that the reproducer was cocked all the way to one side. I set it to that position, similar to others seen on Youtube and gave it a spin.... The white plastic "seal" around the edge of the reproducer is making a very raspy noise but otherwise it seemed ok. This was just spun by hand, the springs and their housing was packed full of solidified grease, which is currently soaking in solvent.

Well, while the springs are soaking, you should work on rebuilding the reproducer.

The white rubber gaskets will have to be replaced, as they are usually quite petrified after 90 years or so; and I would check that stylus bar (is it me, or does it look a bit bent?).

Bill

This cabinet, when outfitted with the Actuelle reproducing system, was called the Pathé Actuelle Model H.

As estott said, "Actuelle sales were disappointing and Pathé converted cabinets to try and recover costs." There is a long and fascinating thread about this, centering around a Model H cabinet that was branded "Operaphone" (presumably surplus cabinet stock that Pathé sold to a (struggling) competitor:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... Operaphone

Like Pathé, Operaphone issued vertically cut discs (although I cannot recall now whether they were the sapphire-ball type or not).

Best wishes, Mark

To play regular 78's properly with a steel needle, the reproducer should be rotated to pick up the lateral vibrations. Even when repaired, the reproducer would not sound good in the current orientation. To play Pathé vertical-cut records, replace the steel needle with a sapphire ball stylus and do use the current orientation.