Bone Fone BP-1

The Bone Fone was a wearable, scarf‑like AM/FM portable radio introduced in 1979, invented and patented by engineer William J. “Bill” Hass (U.S. Patent 4,070,553, filed 1977). Designed to drape around the shoulders, it housed two speakers positioned near the collarbones and was marketed as a bone‑conduction device—vibrating the upper chest and clavicles to create an immersive stereo effect while keeping the ears open. In practice, most audio came from conventional micro‑speakers inside its flexible blue Lycra/Spandex sleeve, with low‑frequency vibration adding physical resonance.

The Bone Fone incorporated a built‑in AM/FM radio receiver and operated on AA batteries. Product development and manufacturing oversight were handled by Hass Associates / Bone Fone Corporation, while large‑scale distribution and public visibility were driven by JS&A Group, which promoted the Bone Fone heavily through full‑page mail‑order catalog advertisements created by entrepreneur Joe Sugarman beginning in 1979.

More than 100,000 units were sold during its initial run, but the Bone Fone’s momentum quickly faded after the arrival of the Sony Walkman in mid‑1979, which established lightweight headphone‑based personal audio as the dominant format of the 1980s.

Made in Hong Kong.

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Elenco delle radio e altri apparecchi della JS&A Group, Inc.; Northbrook, IL