The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I found this unit for sale locally, I was wondering if anybody can tell me about the maker. It has such a nice oak case it dosn't appear to be your typical department store model.Thanks in advance for any input.

Alpine, just another nice "off brand" made during the boom of the late teen's and twenties. Very inexpensive to buy these days. Hope that helps.

Only one slightly unusual feature. most off brand machines have a grille instead of doors. Either this violated the Victor patent or it was made after the patent lapsed.

While the veneer is matched on the tone doors, it doesn't match the record storage doors. It may be that they were added later. It is difficult to tell in the picture if that is a slot for a wooden grille, or just a molded edge along the top of the stretcher between the horn opening and the record storage area.

I would take a closer look at, and around, the tone doors to see if they were added later.

Other than that, the cabinet does have nice lines.

That's the thing about off brand machines- they were haphazard about the wood grain and / or matching. I think that is why some of the cheaper Silvertone machines have a single door over the record compartment- no need to match grain.

You're right- the upper doors could be the work of a good home workman. Some of these lesser machines can be very good indeed- often they have good motors and nicely built plywood horns (as this one) and some of the tone arm designs can perform well.

Looks like neither pair of doors has book-matched grain. Maybe they're both home-built!

With a good sound box, this one ought to sound pretty good, I'm thinking. That horn is all wood, not half-wood and half-cast iron like acoustic Victrolas; it's also flared, with curvature, and it has a rather large opening into the room.