The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

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!

There we go

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

The bidding is already at 542 dollars

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

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

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

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

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

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

JHolmesesq wrote: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.