The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Greetings,
I bought this roughish machine today and, in a short web search, could find little about Sonorophones.
I am posting this in the British and European machines section because the motor and soundbox both say Swiss made.
On the front, where the lid latch is, there are marks and some tiny nails that make me think there was once a badge of some sort attached there.
The crank is missing, but would have been a slotted type. The turntable is 9 ¾” diameter.
Anyone have any pictures of what sort of horn and elbow would have been originally on this animal?
Merry Christmas to all,
Tom

Typical of the Swiss/German machines exported to Britain in large numbers.
The Sonorophone name was later applied to a range of British portables, as pictured :

At a guess, I'd say there's a good chance those nails were to attach some sort of decortive metal doodad like the one on this machine I used to own.

Hoodoo wrote: Sun Dec 22, 2024 3:19 pm Greetings,
Anyone have any pictures of what sort of horn and elbow would have been originally on this animal?
Merry Christmas to all,
Tom

If you Google "Miraphone" you should get your answer as the back-bracket you have is common to a continental Miraphone.

Great. Thanks, Steve.

epigramophone wrote: Mon Dec 23, 2024 3:54 am Typical of the Swiss/German machines exported to Britain in large numbers.
The Sonorophone name was later applied to a range of British portables, as pictured :

Oh, and there is one for sale on ebay at the moment ..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/198212014364 ... R6yhs5SiZw

Very unusual ? Good condition ?

poodling around wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2026 12:47 pm

epigramophone wrote: Mon Dec 23, 2024 3:54 am Typical of the Swiss/German machines exported to Britain in large numbers.
The Sonorophone name was later applied to a range of British portables, as pictured :

Oh, and there is one for sale on ebay at the moment ..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/198212014364 ... R6yhs5SiZw

Very unusual ? Good condition ?

Wrong soundbox, rusty, odd looking arm......apart from the unconventional lid opening arrangement, hardly unique or interesting in any special way. It will sell though!

This portable machine appears to be the same as the one pictured by epigramophone earlier in the thread. Not just similar but actually the same machine. Both have the same soundbox and odd tonearm with the joint that doesn’t look right.

If they are different machines then the soundbox and tonearm may be right.

jamiegramo wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2026 7:31 pm This portable machine appears to be the same as the one pictured by epigramophone earlier in the thread. Not just similar but actually the same machine. Both have the same soundbox and odd tonearm with the joint that doesn’t look right.

If they are different machines then the soundbox and tonearm may be right.

Very interesting.

Well, I have just carried out a 'spot the difference' excercise and the only difference I could see is that one gramophone seems to have a nickel / silver finish on the outer side of the built in needle container and securing screw and the other seems to have a black finish for both.

Oh, also, it might just be my imagination, but the external case 'fittings' (like the closing 'catch' ) seem to have different types of screws - rounder and smaller on the nickel coloured needle container gramophone and larger and flatter on the other one ?

So maybe they are different machines ?

You’ve done an excellent job on ‘spot the difference’! I think this detail shows they are different machines.