The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

hello guys! newbie here from Spain, i just bought my 1st gramophone and i don't know much about the brand, it has no markings except for the logo on the front, any ideas on what brand and model it is? thank you!john

Congratulations, and welcome to the "club." The plate on the front looks like the Pathé discus thrower. If it is a Pathé machine, it's been retrofitted with a lateral disc adapter, and in all events that reproducer is later than the machine; it would have come with a Pathé reproducer oriented for vertical cut discs. Could you show us a general photo of the machine with the horn attached? In particular, Pathé machines usually had a distinctive style of back bracket, and if yours has one of those that would be another sign it was of Pathé origin.

hello guys, thanks for the reply, been very informative, i will try to post a pic with the horn on, meantime i attach here some more photos, your inputs would be greatly appreciated, muchas gracias!

Yep, that's a Pathé bracket all right...

- Bill

thanks! so it's safe to assume it's all original?

jdzn wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:40 pm thanks! so it's safe to assume it's all original?

The reproducer and that segment of tubing that connects it to the tonearm aren't. The reproducer in particular is much later than the machine, although the connector may be from a contemporary lateral adaptor that got "updated" with a new reproducer for electric lateral recordings. The machine most likely came with something like the one pictured below. Note that it's face-forward, oriented for playing vertical cut records (the groove modulation goes up and down), as all Pathé discs were when your machine was made. Your machine has a reproducer facing 90 degrees from the axis of the arm, which is the position for lateral records (the groove modulation goes from side to side) like those of Victor, HMV, or Columbia. Pathé records (and those of a few companies that emulated them) take a special semi-permanent sapphire ball stylus of large radius. Lateral records generally take single-use steel needles. Right now, your machine is set up to play the latter. Note that you must change the needle after each play.

thank you for the updates and i appreciate the help in enlightening me, all the best! john

Welcome to the forum, it is a marvellous gramophone you've got there, and your first machine being a horn gramophone, well that is what I would call a kick start into the hobby.

So, where to start:

Horn is spectacular. It is not a Pathé horn though (if you are aiming for a pure Pathé machine - though I would say the combination you have is very nice.)

The adaptor to pay lateral discs is fine, thats perhaps why Pathé made the tone arm as they did

The reproducer is 20 years more modern than the cabinet, but does its job.

Back bracket, possibly repainted, the tone arm definitely repainted gold.

Cabinet is a Pathé style 6 introduced in around 1910.

Brake - normally not the style you have, it should be a lever directly from the motor. Maybe a picture of the motor would be helpful to see where the lever attached. The motor is obviously original as the winder / speed control are in the right place

However overall a very nice machine

Thank you for the inputs, yep it's my first and hope to be not the the last i will try to upload a video of it working, i'll try to figure out how to upload one, thanks and have a good weekend guys!