Sonora Homebrew

The Sonora iHorn is made from a 1924 Sonora radio horn small cabinet speaker.  It is a majestic homebrew because while it is missing the cabinet, the speaker is combined with a phonograph tone arm to remain a functional and operational horn amplifier.

Sonora Phonograph Co., Inc. of New York, N.Y. was founded in 1913 and ceased all operations by 1930 when Sonora declared bankruptcy, and its assets were purchased by Magnavox.  However, during its years of operation, Sonora was one of the companies that were allowed to exist by the big three (Victor, Edison and Columbia) to avoid threats of an antitrust suit.   Because Sonora had paid a lot of money in royalties on patents held by the big three on a per unit basis, it could only compete with them on their high-end machines.

Before entering the radio market, it patented and manufactured clock chimes.  When it moved into the radio market, these speakers were purchased by Sonora but manufactured by American Bosch.  Further, while the company was located in New York, the wood cabinets were manufactured in Saginaw, Michigan.  At the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco the Sonora phonograph was awarded a gold medal for its quality.    

Sonora marketed under two slogans:  "The Instrument of Quality" and "Clear as a Bell".  Those slogans apply equally to the The Sonora iHorn – it is an instrument of quality which is clear as a bell.