Looking for Silvertone Truphonic information

[edisonclassm]

A number of months ago there was a discussion, and I can't remember exactly what it was about but, in that discussion, someone posted an ad from around 1937 or 1938 of a Silvertone Truphonic phonograph in an Art Deco style floor model cabinet. If whoever posted that ad, if they see this posting, could send me that ad, I would appreciate it. Thanks much!

[OrthoFan]

I posted this awhile back -- viewtopic.php?t=60265 -- pages from the 1936/1937 catalogs featuring an Art Deco style cabinet phonograph. This wasn't a "true" Truphonic model, though.

HTH,
OrthoFan

[edisonclassm]

Thanks so much for bringing this up again. Was this the last wind-up acoustic cabinet floor model made by anyone? I just acquired a small console Silvertone Truphonic but probably from the 1930-32 era. Just a little earlier. Do you have any photos from that era?

[OrthoFan]

Thanks so much for bringing this up again. Was this the last wind-up acoustic cabinet floor model made by anyone? I just acquired a small console Silvertone Truphonic but probably from the 1930-32 era. Just a little earlier. Do you have any photos from that era?

I can only tell you that that's the latest time-frame I've been able to spot so far for an all acoustic (wind up) console cabinet phonograph sold in the US market. I think, in the UK, they may have been produced beyond that point--of course the famous EMG/Ginn outside exponential horn models were sold into the 40s (I believe).

As you probably know, the portable acoustic record players were still available until about the late 1950s in the US.

If you have a chance, please post an image of your Tru-Phonic phonograph. I have a few PDF scans of Sears Tru-Phonic models and may able to match it to a catalog listing.

OrthoFan

[edisonclassm]

Will do. Tomorrow

[edisonclassm]

Here are some photos of the one I just picked up. Not sure What year this one was from (29,30,31?)

[OrthoFan]

Here are some photos of the one I just picked up. Not sure What year this one was from (29,30,31?)

Very Nice. That appears in the 1929 Spring and Summer Sears Catalog --

Spring and Summer 1929 Sears Phonographs.pdf

(1.77 MiB) Downloaded 8 times

FROM -- https://archive.org/details/sears-roebu ... 2/mode/2up

[edisonclassm]

Thanks for sharing that. Much appreciated! It's quite a small console. It also is in very nice original condition as it was well kept by the person who owned it. I felt it was worth saving as so many of this type of phonograph were heavily used and abused then put out to the curb for the trash

[edisonclassm]

I hadn't played this machine until yesterday because the tone arm and gooseneck were sticky due to old dried-up grease, so I took care of that by oiling them up. When I did play it, the reproducer buzzed because the needle bar pivots had grown apart due to the pot metal, so I re-adjusted them and when I put on a Victor Orthophonic dance band selection, was quite impressed by the dynamic sound output this machine performed. Not a Victor 8-30 but still it put out some very respectable sound.

[OrthoFan]

I hadn't played this machine until yesterday because the tone arm and gooseneck were sticky due to old dried-up grease, so I took care of that by oiling them up. When I did play it, the reproducer buzzed because the needle bar pivots had grown apart due to the pot metal, so I re-adjusted them and when I put on a Victor Orthophonic dance band selection, was quite impressed by the dynamic sound output this machine performed. Not a Victor 8-30 but still it put out some very respectable sound.

Based on what I've listened to online, the Tru-Phonic models were a very good alternative--budget-wise--to the "name brand" (Victor, Columbia, Brunswick) models of the period. They were priced between ⅓ and ½ less than similar-sized Victor Orthophonic models, for instance. Whether the horn chambers were designed via trial and error, or were based on scientific calculations, is anyone's guess. Keeping in mind that the sound box/reproducer is pot metal, a full restoration, if possible, would bring the sound quality back to where it was originally.

OrthoFan