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Customer came into my store looking to sell their Aeolian Vocalion Style #650 player. All I have is a photo of the unit,so I'm reaching out to see if anyone can tell me when this unit was made and what it's potential value may be. I read that Brunswick bought the Aeolian company in the 20s, but that's the only info I have so far.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o135 ... calion.jpg

Your Aeolian Vocalion Feature Phonograph, obviously has the unique Graduola Feature, so it dates from 1916 or shortly thereafter. The Graduola feature is that little knob just to the left of the grill. You should check on that and see if it works because often after many decades the material dries out and cracks and the Graduola (remote volume/tone control) feature is no longer functional. This is the most common of the upright Aeolian Vocalion Phonographs. I have had one just like it for about 15 years. If you grab hold of that little knob, and pull it out, it permits you to stand or sit a distance from the phonograph and adjust the volume or tone by pulling and pushing the knob in or out. As far as value is concerned ? There is style 500 on Ebay right now with a buy it now price of 125 dollars, it is not in as nice a shape as the one depicted. Also I do not find that any have sold in the last 30 days on ebay. But this is not a high end phonograph, so assuming the Machine is functional and the Graduola feature is intact I would estimate, between 175-250 dollars tops for this machine. I have had alot of fun with that Graduola Freature over the years, explaining it to friends who have never seen one before that it was the very first "Remote Volume Control" feature to be featured on a phonograph circa 1916. Then I promptly grab the knob and pull it out to its full length, crank up the phonograph and put on a really nice early jazz number and demonstrate how you can control the volume from half way across the room !! Its a load of laughs.

What kind of motor did Aeolian-Vocalion use ?

solophoneman wrote:Your Aeolian Vocalion Feature Phonograph, obviously has the unique Graduola Feature, so it dates from 1916 or shortly thereafter. The Graduola feature is that little knob just to the left of the grill. You should check on that and see if it works because often after many decades the material dries out and cracks and the Graduola (remote volume/tone control) feature is no longer functional. This is the most common of the upright Aeolian Vocalion Phonographs. I have had one just like it for about 15 years. If you grab hold of that little knob, and pull it out, it permits you to stand or sit a distance from the phonograph and adjust the volume or tone by pulling and pushing the knob in or out. As far as value is concerned ? There is style 500 on Ebay right now with a buy it now price of 125 dollars, it is not in as nice a shape as the one depicted. Also I do not find that any have sold in the last 30 days on ebay. But this is not a high end phonograph, so assuming the Machine is functional and the Graduola feature is intact I would estimate, between 175-250 dollars tops for this machine. I have had alot of fun with that Graduola Freature over the years, explaining it to friends who have never seen one before that it was the very first "Remote Volume Control" feature to be featured on a phonograph circa 1916. Then I promptly grab the knob and pull it out to its full length, crank up the phonograph and put on a really nice early jazz number and demonstrate how you can control the volume from half way across the room !! Its a load of laughs.

I haven't seen the machine in person yet, but I'll report back whether the Graduola works or not.

Thanks for the info/history of his machine.

There should also be a spring-metal clip on the left side of the cabinet to hold the Graduola plunger when it is not inside the cabinet.

1919-1921 for this model, as I recall.

The example that I once owned was a bit earlier, ad was also fitted with the OTHER volume control adjustment, the
"VOLUNOME".

De Soto Frank wrote:What kind of motor did Aeolian-Vocalion use ?

Every Aeolian Vocalion I've seen has had Thorens motors & components. Even the motors branded Aeolian were manufactured by Thorens.

Aeolian started selling phonographs in 1914, but in 1916 acquired the graduola devise from it's Australian inventor F.J.Empson, and it was used in various cabinet models until the late 20s.
You'll find an online instruction manual here-

http://www.nipperhead.com/old/aeolian01.htm