The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

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I have never seen another. It is like a double Pathé Elf.

Indeed this is a very rare machine. Pathé made several dual players, with internal and external horns, double Jour et Nuit machines, and even one with valve amplification and a loudspeaker, but a double one with the reflective horn like the one on the photo is a hen's tooth. Well worth the restoration.

Is the tonearm on the right missing ? How easy is it to find if it is? And I wonder what is on the 2 discs.

To the right of the crank is a hole that had an escutcheon. It may have a non-original motor...

I read somewhere (?) that they made these machines for playing their opera record sets, whose sides were coupled so to be able to have the next record ready on the second turntable before the end of the previous one. Thus it is explained the strange side coupling of these record sets, as they were made so tho be played without interruption.
I always believe that Pathé was a very advanced company and very interesting, in the enormous output and variety of their products. Their records sounded very well, many of them are really vivid, especially the vocal ones. Listen to Schipa on O dolce incanto, for instance...

Inigo wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 1:02 am I read somewhere (?) that they made these machines for playing their opera record sets, whose sides were coupled so to be able to have the next record ready on the second turntable before the end of the previous one.

Yes, Iñigo playing opera sets is one of the purposes of the dual machine, but two other applications were commercially more important: play silent movie soundtracks during screenings, for which Pathé had also the monopoly being a film producer, distributor and theater owner (up to the present days with Pathé-Gaumont) and a third, with two arms but only one turntable, in which the two synchronized arms play the same disc, to augment the volume - these latter machines, usually coin-ops, were somewhat popular in bars and cafés.

Had that have been in the UK I would have gladly bought it, especially at that cheap price. As Carlos has said, it is very rare and like most Pathé machines of quality, very desirable.

All the same if selling an item for $1500 you’d think they would clear the junk from in front of it and take a few decent pictures. I wonder what other parts are included apart from the reproducer?

jamiegramo wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 9:58 am All the same if selling an item for $1500 you’d think they would clear the junk from in front of it and take a few decent pictures. I wonder what other parts are included apart from the reproducer?

You're assuming everybody has some level of common sense; unfortunately that is not the case!

jamiegramo wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 9:58 am All the same if selling an item for $1500 you’d think they would clear the junk from in front of it and take a few decent pictures. I wonder what other parts are included apart from the reproducer?

As is the case more and more, an individual looking for maximum profit, at minimum effort. I'm surprised he went to the trouble to open the lid.