Edison Edisonic Production Numbers.

[jukejunkie]

Just picked up an Edisonic Schubert this weekend. Considering the short production years I was wondering how many were actually produced? Does anyone have an idea and for both the Schubert and Beethoven?

Thanks

[Lenoirstreetguy]

I finally looked up an article about this very topic that appeared in the New Amberola Graphic in July '87. The editor, Martin Bryan did a quick survey of the machines owned by the readers. The serial numbers for the Schubert ranged from 1150 to 4484. Those for the Beethoven ranged from 1220 to 2036. Assuming that the serial numbers began at 1000, it suggests that there were at least 3500 Schuberts and over 1000 Beethovens. Martin points out that we can't be sure all numbers were used. He was surprised, from the vantage point ot the 1980s that the production seemed so high: one saw them rarely then, but from the number that turn up on ebay, 3500 doesn't seem impossible by any means. Of the machines surveyed only one Schubert and two Beethoven's had the long play attachment. The only Beethoven I've ever seen did not have one, by the way.
Interstingly, one of the Schubert's(1441) had the old style Edison muffler ball in the horn.
Martin's article points out the errors in the Frow book vis a vis the Edisonics.
I have never seen an Edisonic on this side of the border, but one presumes a few were sold up here eveb though Edison lost its Ontario jobber in 1926
Jim.