Oct 09 2005

Bone Fone

Published by at 11:17 pm under Declan

I used to sell these at a kiosk in the mall when I was in 8th grade or high school.

Something on Gizmodo reminded me of them.

One of the many great inventions publicized by the incredible JS&A Group, the Bone Fone put a unique spin on personal stereos–with its wrap-around design unique speaker placement, the vibrations “resonate through your bones–all the way to the sensitive bones of your inner ear” giving the listener breathtaking sound.

The Bone Fone was one of the many novelty radios reaching a niche radio buyers back in the ’70s and early ’80s. Joggers, cyclists and disco roller skaters loved the convenience of the handy little radio while exercising; techno-weenies like us appreciated the unusual approach toward high quality stereo sound. The Bone Fone wasn’t cheap–it cost over $70 US but included lycra sleeves in an array of colors and even a fabric pattern to create your own.

The Bone Fone’s interest was short-lived, as most wound up in tag sales when the Walkman boom hit in the early ’80s. Today, the personal stereo’s capabilities have reached urban legend level proportions though in all likelihood, one could probably get the same effect by breaking a set of headphones in half and taping each end to one’s chest. The radios are in high demand and probably fetch the same as what one would have paid when they were initially sold.

All of this is from http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/magicalgadget/index3.html#bonefone

3 responses so far

3 Responses to “Bone Fone”

  1. # Christineon 10 Oct 2005 at 7:22 pm

    I would never wear something called “bone” around my neck :P. The first pic looks like Beverly Diangelo LOL.

  2. # Roberton 10 May 2006 at 8:25 am

    I remember Heathkit selling these.
    The first time I tried on, I was floored at how great the sound was. It felt like you were emersed in it. I have owned a few used ones and infact found one at my local goowill for $2.00.
    Still a nice radio that sounds dam good. Perhaps not vogue but then again, plummers have been in fashion long before all the young people thought that showing your butt crack is cool.

    Cheers
    Robert

  3. # Janon 06 Dec 2006 at 4:25 pm

    I have one that works just fine, the sound is quite good. If it had FM I
    would be happier. I use it in my car since my radio is dead and I don’t want to
    put money into a new one.

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