A Rare 1940's Vintage Solotone Entertainer Jukebox Speaker

This would be one very unique way to bring a little piece of Americana into your home that'll take you way, way, way on back in time (if you've got some miles on you). Either that or give you a history lesson.

The Solotone Entertainer coin operated jukebox speaker dates back to the 1940's and was a means in which to boost tavern and diner operator profits. It was used as a way to hopefully keep patrons seated at their table for a longer period of time enjoying music and talking in hopes that they would be ordering food and drinks while at the same time adding a little more to the bottom line.

This little gem was found and then restored by my aunt and uncle, who happen to have an entire room full of very cool 50's-60's era "stuff". The best part about it all is that everything in this retro room works like a charm thanks to a little research, time and labor. I can tell that they've put a lot of "love energy" into these projects. I'm just happy that I was able to see it all in person.

Here's my Uncle Bob to talk a little about the coin operated jukebox speaker:

That unit was purchased at a yard sale for $7. It is an original Solotone speaker unit used in the late 40"s to purchase "timed" sound from a centralized Jukebox. The coin slots of 5c and 10c would select the length of time your table or booth could hear the sounds played at the juke box. It has been restored to original operating condition by a local juke box restorer and ourselves. We find that the unit is fairly rare.

Rare indeed! It's very difficult to find any information at all related to this particular jukebox speaker. In fact, this is likely to be the most information you can find on it without going to a very deep library. Talk about long tail!

During the course of my research on the Solotone Entertainer I found a pair of them up for bid on eBay and the current bid was $350!

This is what is printed on the top of the speaker for the patrons to see:

Solotone Popular Recordings

Equal of 2 full recordings for each 5 cents.

Insert 1 to 15 coins

Solotone Corp Los Angeles Calif

Let this be a lesson to us all. If you're in the market for vintage items for your retro room, take the time to visit yard sales, estate sales and such. You never know what treasures you'll find!

Related

Want to see more vintage diner stuff like a completely restored 1955 Seeburg jukebox? It's awesome! I'm not lying. There's more to see, too. Go to the bottom of the page for links to all the cool vintage diner stuff.