The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Picked this one up for $40 today. Its in good shape, just needs new gaskets.
The build quality is quite good, better than I expected.

Neat! The Cecilian name was first used by the Farrand Organ Co. for their system of Push-up Piano Playing machines [you'd put the piano roll in the machine, and pump the pedals while 65 wooden fingers played your piano. I suspect this is a later product sold by the same company. It's in apparently beautiful shape. Good Work!

antique1973 wrote:Picked this one up for $40 today. Its in good shape, just needs new gaskets.
The build quality is quite good, better than I expected.

I've seen these a couple of times in nice shape and have been very tempted myself... but I've managed to resist (so far)

hillndalefan wrote:Neat! The Cecilian name was first used by the Farrand Organ Co. for their system of Push-up Piano Playing machines [you'd put the piano roll in the machine, and pump the pedals while 65 wooden fingers played your piano. I suspect this is a later product sold by the same company. It's in apparently beautiful shape. Good Work!

Thanks for the interesting background info! I read on the net also that this brand was kind of like the "Silvertone of Sears" but for Montgomery Wards instead.

Tinkerbell wrote:

antique1973 wrote:Picked this one up for $40 today. Its in good shape, just needs new gaskets.
The build quality is quite good, better than I expected.

I've seen these a couple of times in nice shape and have been very tempted myself... but I've managed to resist (so far)

I know what you mean, at first I was going to avoid it! But then I discovered
I really like the "gold" eagle and ornate reproducer, and figured what the heck.
I am going to sell my Odeon portable and my VV-35 is already on the market to make
room. Worst case I should be able to get $50 for the Cecilian if I run across a
minty VV-50 or something similar.

Very nice! The main appeal of 20's portables like this is the appearance and this one scores. Montgomery Ward sold a lot of Cecilian portables but their cabinet models were a poor also-ran to Sears.

Is the motor a Paillard?

estott wrote:Very nice! The main appeal of 20's portables like this is the appearance and this one scores. Montgomery Ward sold a lot of Cecilian portables but their cabinet models were a poor also-ran to Sears.

Thanks Estott, it is in pretty nice shape compared to my beat up Odeon. There is just one small hole on the top and there is some batting coming out. They padded the top apparently.
I never heard of the brand until this one came up on CL but that's not surprising considering
the hundreds of offbranders out there.

gramophoneshane wrote:Is the motor a Paillard?

I will see if I can pop up the motor board tomorrow and see what's inside. Its
a good smooth runner but I only tested a couple records so far. I tried to
put new gasket material in the soundbox but the stuff I have is too thin. I am
going to see if George V. can send me the right kind.