Portables with external horns?

[JHolmesesq]

Now I have seen everything. This is up for sale at the moment on eBay, it's a gorgeous machine!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Very-Rare-Radiola ... 1c142a7700

I can't figure out how to put eBay listing photos on here. It's a 1925 Radiola portable with a horn attachment that you clip on. I've never seen anything like it before!

[JHolmesesq]

There we go

[Steve]

Rare and expensive! Expect to pay upwards of $700 for this cute little machine.

[JHolmesesq]

The bidding is already at 542 dollars

[estott]

The Colonel will be able to fix that leaky roof at the Grange.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

You know, I'll bet that machine sounds quite acceptable: probably better than the majority of non- Orthophonic portables. There was an American machine, the smallest of the Pal portable line, that used an external horn. I have the ruins of one in storage . They were sold up here in Canada by the Compo Company, I believe.( Herbert Berliner's firm. ) The reproducer had a brown fibre diaphragm of some sort, but was made of the pot metal from hell and mine is in approximately 15 pieces. The horn is a tiny little cone, looking like something on the original Edison Gem, but covered in red leatherette like the rest of the machine. There is no tone arm: it's like a Victor Toy machine in that the reproducer goes on the end of the horn which pivots on a peg stuck in a hole in the motor board. I think they were sold as semi-toys in the mid twenties. Mine was originally given as a Christmas present to one of the neighbours when he was 10 years old and that would have been in 1926-27. But they are are a real portable with a leather handle. I haven't looked at it in twenty years. Anyone have one of these?

Jim

[OrthoFan]

In terms of the overall design it sorta' reminds me of those Soviet portables with the "flat" mini-exponential style horn that folds into the lid --

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6cGbibXZsw[/youtube]

I have to admit, though, the ebay example looks considerably more substantial.

I've seen a few "external horn" type portables over the years, as well as some that combined the external/internal design. Probably the most familiar one is the Grippa -- (which to my ears, sounds like someone whom you tell naughty children "will get them," if they don't behave... )



Another odd bird was the Swanson portable, which was fitted with a removable tapered hollow, wooden tonearm. At the back of the arm, was a small pivot-post that was inserted into a hole towards the back of the case. The sound waves were directed toward the open lid when playing.

I used to own one, and it actually sounded pretty good. Not much volume, of course, but a very mellow tone.

Wished I still had it!

OF

[JHolmesesq]

How bizarre fitting the horn right to the reproducer. Not much room for amplification, and most of that tonearm seems redundant!

I love these machines, they seem the best of both worlds and so quirky

[gramophoneshane]

The Pixie Grippa actually doesn't sound too bad for it's size.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1gpJ6RojU8[/youtube]

[estott]

How bizarre fitting the horn right to the reproducer. Not much room for amplification, and most of that tonearm seems redundant!

I love these machines, they seem the best of both worlds and so quirky

I don't thing you quite understand- it's a regular machine with a tone arm and an internal horn, the little horn is to concentrate the sound from the outer face of the diaphragm as well.