The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

While I was purchasing the Pal I have a thread up on I saw a second much smaller crank phonograph case with some of the material missing from the wood exterior. I looked at it and inside was no name, but an odd almost plastic looking tone arm that was loose. It fits over a lug kind of affair that lets it pivot. There appears to be no horn. Just the rear of the tonearm which is about three inches wide at the rear and has a hinged cover with padding inside that opens to let the sound out. I have no clue what it is. The reproducer was rather cheap looking to me an much smaller than other you usually see on portables. With the asking price they had on it and in the condition it was in, I wasn't interested in buying it. But I do wonder what I saw. Does the description ring a bell with anyone and do you now if the tone arm was made to reflect the sound off the real lid cover?

Larry

Something like this Decca?

I've seen a couple of those and yes the sound is supposed to reflect off the lid. They look pretty low quality.

I wish it looked like that decca but the second comment matched it better. Just a simple what appeared to be plastic tone arm with a wide rear and a oval opening that was covered with a hinged flap. Didn't appear to be a name on it. Quality as mentioned was probably poor. I do wonder though if those are very late attempts at producing sound something like the decca or Pathé cone type machines without internal horns.