Neophyte in need of guidance......

[Lakehouse110]

Happy to have found this site. Recently acquired a BC-34 that has been in my family since i was a teenager. I realize this is a common piece the sentimental value makes it priceless to us. Any information I can get to determine whether this is all original would be appreciated. The sound quality is great, and the inner workings are whisper quiet. Serial # 38328, and 1917 is stamped in the cabinet under the horn. Thanks.

[gsphonos]

Some pictures would be helpful! That is an Edison Diamond Disc player. Are you playing Edison Diamond Disc records on it, or regular 78's? Do you have just one reproducer or two? Sometimes the original owner of the machine bought an adaptor to play regular 78's, and could have been used long after Edison stopped making records.

There is always something special with a machine that has been in your family for awhile!

Mike

[phonogfp]

Welcome to the TMF!

The BC-34 (BC stood for "Baby Console") was introduced in May 1922. Luckily for you, this is perhaps the only Edison Disc Phonograph for which a detailed production schedule has been made readily available. Thanks to that, serial No.38328 can be dated to December 1923. Original cost was $175 but raised to $185 in November 1923 (just in time for yours). Production of the BC-34 continued until 1927.

Determining originality of your particular machine is best accomplished with good photographs of the outside and inside.

Posting photos on this forum is very easy.
1) Simply scroll down to the horizontal maroon bar immediately below the message box (it's labeled "Upload attachment"). Just below the maroon bar is a button labeled "Choose File." Click it, and select the photo(s) you wish to post from wherever they are on your computer or external device.

2) Once you've clicked "Open file" on your selected photo, click the button labeled "Add the file" just below and slightly to the right of the "Choose File" button you already used. Now the photo is added to your message. That's all there is to it.

(NOTE: unless you click on the "Place Inline" button, the photos will be posted at the end of your text, and in the reverse order in which they were downloaded. In other words, the first photo downloaded will be at the bottom; the second photo will be second from the bottom, etc.)

You should know (if you don't already) that ¼" thick discs labeled "Edison" should be played ONLY with an Edison reproducer. Steel needles will ruin Edison Discs. Conversely, the more common Victor, Columbia, and hundreds of other brands cannot be played with the Edison reproducer. These are intended for steel needles. Unfortunately for many old records, original purchasers of Edison Disc Phonographs often purchased aftermarket attachments that could be fitted to the Edison machine to allow play of the thinner, more common types of records. How many records have met their end through being played with the wrong type of reproducer can only be imagined...

You might enjoy this article (among others) on the Antique Phonograph Society website:

http://www.antiquephono.org/basic-antiq ... onal-tips/

The third paragraph under "Pointers for 78 RPM Disc Record Machines" will be most relevant for you, but the rest of the article may be helpful too. Other Introductory articles on the website deal with more general themes.

Post some photos here and you'll receive plenty of feedback.

George P.

[Curt A]

Welcome...

[Lakehouse110]

Will post pix ASAP. Learning what discs not to play on it was one of the first things I learned. Fortunately the proper discs were the only ones they had for it. And best as i can tell my oarents were only the second owners.

[Lakehouse110]

In it's new home.

[Lakehouse110]

Just a few pics to get started. The flash on my tablet reveals every flaw. Will get some daytime shots. Now that all the boats/docks are out for the season I can give it a thorough cleaning.

[larryh]

Nice you can save your families phonograph. From the photos it appears to be in pretty decent shape yet. Another thing going for you would be that most likely many of the records are the latter more sought out pieces.

Larry

[NEFaurora]

Judging by the 10"-12" Buttons (which are most likely disconnected), It looks like you have a 1926-1927 Model BC-34.

It also appears that the Turntable still has its Original Orange felt as well!

Nice score! It looks to be in nice shape. The Mahogany finish seems to look original as well, but kind of hard to tell.

)

Tony K.
Edison Collector/Restorer

[Lakehouse110]

Uh oh. Now i'm worried this might be a hybrid. An earlier reply to my post stated that going by the serial # this was a 1923 model. The 10" & 12" buttons both work and i actually use the 10" to cue up my discs. Thoughts? ??