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Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 10:53 am
by Gramtastic
Hi, What does anyone make of this ? Obviously nothing to do with Victor and the wrong horn but a very interesting tone arm/back bracket set up. I know there are plenty of Leo Phone fakes out there but never seen a Lion o phone and the transfer looks to have some age to it ??


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385111824438 ... R5z72KLmYA

Re: Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 11:44 am
by soundgen
Been on Ebay before same seller as the damaged EMG horn

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Vict ... true&rt=nc

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=53739

Re: Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 11:53 am
by gramophoneshane
Gramtastic wrote: Mon Sep 12, 2022 10:53 am Obviously nothing to do with Victor and the wrong horn
Are you sure it's the wrong horn and if so, what horn should it have?

Re: Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 12:25 pm
by OrthoFan
The tonearm is interesting:
Capture.JPG
2Capture.JPG
Too bad there's no taper.

OF

Re: Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 2:07 pm
by epigramophone
The peacock feather pattern horn was widely used in Europe, especially on Swiss/German machines.
Two 90 degree angles on the tonearm do not bode well for sound quality, and it is difficult to see how it connects to the horn.
I suspect that it may be the work of an enthusiastic amateur.

Re: Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 3:13 pm
by Inigo
These Swiss machines used to have a standard tonearm... I'm with you that this is a later patchwork...

Re: Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 4:47 pm
by Phono48
Looking at the angle that the soundbox is to the record, I suspect the arm is the result of a few copper plumbing fittings and a fertile imagination! I could be horribly wrong, of course.......

Barry

Re: Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:11 am
by soundgen
epigramophone wrote: Mon Sep 12, 2022 2:07 pm The peacock feather pattern horn was widely used in Europe, especially on Swiss/German machines.
Two 90 degree angles on the tonearm do not bode well for sound quality, and it is difficult to see how it connects to the horn.
I suspect that it may be the work of an enthusiastic amateur.
The center part of the back bracket must rotate to let the tone arm move , bit sophisticated for an amateur perhaps it was made to overcome tapered tone arm patents ?

Re: Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:51 am
by OrthoFan
soundgen wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:11 am ...The center part of the back bracket must rotate to let the tone arm move , bit sophisticated for an amateur perhaps it was made to overcome tapered tone arm patents ?
Some Pathé' gramophones used a similar rotating mechanism, though the tonearm's design was far more sophisticated:
Capture.JPG
(FROM: https://78rpm.club/gramophones/Pathé/ )
OrthoFan

Re: Lion-o-Phone ??

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2022 11:02 am
by Gramtastic
I'm sure it's not home made as it's far too well done. it's strange that Google can't find any reference to Lion A Phone as the transfer looks genuine .....