Victrola Parts & Repair

Supplies and repair for your Victrola,
vintage phonograph or gramophone

Early Phonographs
Victrolas, RCA-Victors, Edison, Columbia and Sonoma

The term phonograph comes from the Greek words for 'sound' and for 'scripture' (or 'writing'). Thus a phonograph may be roughly translated as a 'sound writer'. The word 'gramophone' has a similar root meaning.

Any device used to record sound or reproduce recorded sound could be called a type of 'phonograph', but modern use of the word typically refers to a machine that plays a recording made by etching onto a disc. Typically a needle runs along the grooves previoiusly etched into the disk and the sound is amplified in some way.

Phonographs, in one form or another, have dominated the way we record and listen to sound (particularly voice and music) from 1870s all the way though the 1980s! they are still used today by collectors, classical music enthusiasts and opera lovers.

The most famous of early phonographs is the Victrola made by the Victor Talking Machine Company (1906 - 1929). Victrolas are acoustic phonographs with the amplifying horns 'built-in' to the cabinet that houses the turntable. Earlier phonographs used larger, external horns that made the player very bulky and obtrusive. The Victrola's sleek internal horn may have been the most significant factor in the popularity and staying power of the household phonogrpah... in many styles and brands thereafter.

RCA bought Victor in 1929 and the marketed many products as RCA-Victor. They even used the name Victrola liberally. These products were manufactured as late as the 1960's, but are not considered original Victrola products in the antique circles.

There were of course hundreds of other manufacutures of early phonographs; Edison, 'Sonora' and 'Columbia' to name a few.

10 Questions & Answers
about vintage phonographs

Use the links at right to find supplies, parts, repair
and restoration resources for your Victrola, RCA-Victor, Edison,
Sonora, Columbia, or other vintage phonograph or gramophone.

Victor-Victrola Site
An overview of the internal horned phonographs from Victrola

Great Gifts for Opera Lovers       
Love opera and classical music?    
Opera tee's, ties, mugs, opera CDs and DVDs. OperaGifts.com           

Victrola Repair Service
Repair, parts, accessories
and models for sale

Rose & Gracey's Antique Phonographs
Restored Antique Phonographs for sale. Books. (Victrola, Edison, other vintage...)

German Incense 'Smokers'
Hand-crafted, opera themed