The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

If the image above works, I just got this at a yardsale 2 weeks ago for 5 bucks. (The camera dates are wrong, just took the pics about an hour ago) I can find very little data on this other than it was a company in New York that was in business from 1915 to 1931, and that generally they have standard parts and what not.. So could it be worth more since it is some rare little company?

It must have been a really low end model, seems like lousy wood, chinsy, when I took the whole top off, the inside is all glued and the paint all stops just.. seems liek it was low quality / hand built. I know nothing about phonographs. (I have plenty of 78 RPM records. Milk crates full of em, but never a player this old)

Its in horrible shape, that aluminum base that holds the arm is all cracking, has a lot of glue and cement stuff to hold it together. the diaphragm has a hole in it and the little needle piece leading to it is glued on (I jerry-rigged it together just to get it to work) - It cranks, and spins, and plays music. The gaskets and whatever make up the diaphragm are really warn out. At the picture above you can see a hole by the speed adjustment, looks like someone moved it and screwed it in somewhere else. Its mussing most of its screws around the corners. In the front view there's little wood nails and stuff that hold the front in place.

You can clearly see the model and serial number. It also has '379' etched into the wood on the inside. The round thingy you pop off and it holds a whole bunch of needles in it.

Does anybody know anything more about these, or this unit? Or if it has any value? Or if it is at least maybe worth more than the 5 bucks I paid?







Thanks! If anyone knows anything about it

Welcome to the forum.

These 1920's portables are very quaint but do not have great value, especially with condition issues. The Charmaphone Co. was actually located in the small city of Pulaski NY but you'll often see New York City on the machines- they probably had an office there to give the impression the company was bigger. They must have been fairly successful as Charmaphone machines turn us fairly regularly.

Your machine could be fixed up to look better and play better. New gaskets and mica in the reproducer can improve the sound, and if the arm isn't too badly broken something like JB Weld can stabilize the breaks. If you're good with tools you could fix the case up and refinish it- probably just had some stain and one coat of varnish. With a low value machine like this what ever you do to it won't harm the value and might even improve it. I just wouldn't put a lot of money into it, just enough to fix it up.

Thanks for the info! I may try to do a little to it or maybe will just store it away for another 60 years until I'm old and grey. The arm itself is in good shape, but that aluminum, base with the screws that you put the arm into, theres sorta this upright little pole and the arm fits on over it? That is held with only super glue and cement as its completely cracked off. I basically need a new piece there. And the needle.. (Not the needle, but the little metal piece that goes up and goes into the center of the diaphragm) has had pliers taken to it and has been bent up every which way and I had to carefully bend it.. to just get it to glue to the reproducer..

Where could I get the gaskets and the mica stuff? That I think is the most I will probably do... I already spent hours of greasy fun when I wound it too much and had to go in and fix the spring and stuff. And I don't know diddly about tools. Im a nerdy mcnerd.

So basically yeah, the gaskets and the mica stuff is what I'll probably replace.. I don't suppose that can easily be picked up at a local gas station

Hi Guest,
Did you ever get it running? I have a similar, but different model, 355 I believe that is also in poor shape. Ill be posting some pic's shortly

Guest wrote:Thanks for the info! I may try to do a little to it or maybe will just store it away for another 60 years until I'm old and grey. The arm itself is in good shape, but that aluminum, base with the screws that you put the arm into, theres sorta this upright little pole and the arm fits on over it? That is held with only super glue and cement as its completely cracked off. I basically need a new piece there. And the needle.. (Not the needle, but the little metal piece that goes up and goes into the center of the diaphragm) has had pliers taken to it and has been bent up every which way and I had to carefully bend it.. to just get it to glue to the reproducer..

Where could I get the gaskets and the mica stuff? That I think is the most I will probably do... I already spent hours of greasy fun when I wound it too much and had to go in and fix the spring and stuff. And I don't know diddly about tools. Im a nerdy mcnerd.

So basically yeah, the gaskets and the mica stuff is what I'll probably replace.. I don't suppose that can easily be picked up at a local gas station

Welcome to the forum. The broken tonearm base is probably made from pot metal, not aluminum. Pot metal has the unfortunate habit of disintegrating if not stored properly. As estott said, you may be able to fix it with something like JB Weld. Otherwise a little lubrication of the motor - which you may have already done and a little cleanup of the case should make it look a lot better already. You can find mica and gasket materials at several phonograph part suppliers cheaply (a few bucks). Look in the "Links" section for Ron Sitko, APSCO, or Wyatt for parts.
Good luck
Andreas