About the Company
Sonora was a small Dutch manufacturer of consumer reel-to-reel tape recorders active in the late 1950s to early 1960s, producing tube-based home decks for the European market.
Brand and origin
Sonora recorders were built in the Netherlands using vacuum-tube electronics, targeting domestic users rather than studios or export hi-fi markets.
The brand fits the era's pattern of regional European makers offering affordable tape solutions before Japanese solid-state dominance.
Product characteristics
These were typical entry-level home recorders: quarter-inch tape, likely mono or half-track stereo, single- or dual-speeds (3¾/7½ ips), with built-in amplifiers and speakers for standalone music/voice use.
No specific models or advanced features (e.g., 4-track, Dolby) are widely documented, indicating basic consumer positioning.
Production timeframe
Sonora's activity aligns with late-1950s tube RTR production; output ceased by the early 1960s as transistors and cassettes emerged, leaving low surviving volumes.
Historical role
Sonora exemplifies minor Continental European brands that briefly contributed competent tube decks during tape's popularization phase, collectible today for rarity rather than innovation.