The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

1. Serial Number 4385
2. Dealer badges/labels -no
3. Bedplate color -brn
4. Cabinet wood species -mahog.
5. Metal or wooden grille, and number of pillars - wood 7
6. Back grille attached with screws only, or with pins and screws -screws
7. Grille cloth present, and if so, color, pattern, and material. -no
8. Pinstriping and other decorative details -yes
9. Wood-grained horn, or plain painted. -wood grained not original
10. Other distinguishing features. -no
11. Cabinet markings/labels. -no
12. Accompanying paperwork (packing slips, purchase contracts/receipts, etc). -no
13. Misc/other - As-found, the horn was painted yellow. Has been wood grained recently

PeterF wrote:Thanks very much to everyone who has responded so far!

Feel free to add stuff you find online, for machines you don't necessarily own or have direct access. At some point as time allows, I'll try to mine this forum for info from past postings. I recall, for instance, a very long string of postings on a beautiful oak example with a noisy motor, where the forum banded together to help the new owner troubleshoot and fix it - virtually.

Hi Peter

How do I tell if it is pre fire??
Thanks
Bob T.

Well, I guess it's "not post-fire" - per the following description from earlier in this thread:

As Frow states in his book, after the December 1914 factory fire, Edison was left with 850-odd Amberola V cabinets but no mechanisms to put in them. Thus was created the Vb model with has an Amberola 50/75 motor and horn in a "standard" Amberola V cabinet.

So unless yours has an Amberola 50 mechanism in it, it's "pre-fire" for the purposes of this registry.

Thanks for looking. Hope to see your data soon.

I came to realize I'd never actually taken the time to enter the info for my own current V. I've had 2 before this one, plus an almost decade-long loan of one from a good friend. The V is my favorite Edison phonograph, representing an artful presentation backed up by top performance from perfected sound reproduction and mechanical systems.

1. Serial Number (with photo of ID plate if possible) 2655
2. Dealer badges/labels, and content? None
3. Bedplate color? Brown
4. Cabinet wood species and finish? Oak, medium
5. Metal or wooden grille, and number of "pillars"? Wood, 6
6. Back grille attached with screws only, or with pins and screws? Screws only
7. Grille cloth present, and if so, color, pattern, and material? Yes, as found, tan thin cotton (likely not original)
8. Pinstriping and other decorative details? Yes, gold, on bedplate and housings
9. Wood-grained horn, or plain painted? Woodgrained
10. Small "bun" feet present on cabinet bottom? Yes
11. Other distinguishing features? None
12. Cabinet markings/labels, such as serial numbers, cabinet maker labels, etc? None
13. Accompanying paperwork (packing slips, purchase contracts/receipts, etc)? Handwritten instructions
14. Is it the post-fire hybrid "Amberola Vb" created to use surplus V cabinets but containing Amberola 50 internals? No
15. Misc/other info and details, such as family history, unusual stories, etc. Bought new in Northern California and stayed with original family until purchased by me.
16. Please upload photo(s) with your posting if possible. See below.

Hello, Amberola V details

1, Serial Number 3170
2, Dealer tag, No
3, Bedplate color, Brown
4, Cabinet wood, Oak
5, grill, Wooden 6 Bar
6, Back Grill, Screws only
7, No Grill Cloth
8, Gold Pinstriping, Yes Bed plate and gear cover
9, Horn, Oak wood grained
10, Small bun feet, Yes

Thanks very much for your data entry. If you can add pix, or a link to formerly posted pix, please do.

I had the day off so I just spent the morning combing a bit over 400 pages of search results for "Amberola V" and sent PMs to anyone who seems to own one or formerly owned one, asking for data input.

If you're an Amberola V owner past or present and I missed you, please share any info and pix you may have. If I sent you a note in error, sorry for the spam!

Thanks.

Adding this one, formerly owned by me but without the s/n info. If you were the buyer, please post the info!

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =9&t=16278

1. Serial Number: 3131
2. Dealer badges/labels, and content? None
3. Bedplate color? Brown
4. Cabinet wood species and finish? Oak, medium
5. Metal or wooden grille, and number of "pillars"? Wood, 6
6. Back grille attached with screws only, or with pins and screws? Screws only
7. Grille cloth present, and if so, color, pattern, and material? No original cloth.
8. Pinstriping and other decorative details? Yes, gold, on bedplate and housings
9. Wood-grained horn, or plain painted? Woodgrained
10. Small "bun" feet present on cabinet bottom? Yes
11. Other distinguishing features? None
12. Cabinet markings/labels, such as serial numbers, cabinet maker labels, etc? None
13. Accompanying paperwork (packing slips, purchase contracts/receipts, etc)? None.
14. Is it the post-fire hybrid "Amberola Vb" created to use surplus V cabinets but containing Amberola 50 internals? No
15. Misc/other info and details, such as family history, unusual stories, etc. Nothing.
16. Please upload photo(s) with your posting if possible.

Just noticed - - this machine is numbered only 39 lower than Pete's ("flashpanblue") 3 posts above!

George P.

Here's information on my post fire Amberola Vb:

1. Serial Number (with photo of ID plate if possible)
2. Dealer badges/labels, and content?
3. Bedplate color? Black
4. Cabinet wood species and finish?
5. Metal or wooden grille, and number of "pillars"?
6. Back grille attached with screws only, or with pins and screws?
7. Grille cloth present, and if so, color, pattern, and material?
8. Pinstriping and other decorative details?
9. Wood-grained horn, or plain painted?
10. Small "bun" feet present on cabinet bottom?
11. Other distinguishing features?
12. Cabinet markings/labels, such as serial numbers, cabinet maker labels, etc?
13. Accompanying paperwork (packing slips, purchase contracts/receipts, etc)?
14. Is it the post-fire hybrid "Amberola Vb" created to use surplus V cabinets but containing Amberola 50 internals?

Answers
1. 339
2. Nothing
3. Black
4. Mahogany
5. Metal Grill 7 Pillars
6. Screws
7. No grill cloth
8. Pin striping in gold as the early Amberola 50
9. Black metal horn
10.Yes
11. no
12. no
13. no
14. yes, post fire machine

1. Serial Number (with photo of ID plate if possible) 508
2. Dealer badges/labels, and content? None
3. Bedplate color? Brown
4. Cabinet wood species and finish? Medium Oak, kinda dark, thick shellac
5. Metal or wooden grille, and number of "pillars"? 6, Wooden
6. Back grille attached with screws only, or with pins and screws?
7. Grille cloth present, and if so, color, pattern, and material? Long gone
8. Pinstriping and other decorative details? Yes, gold on bedplate and housing
9. Wood-grained horn, or plain painted? Wood-grained
10. Small "bun" feet present on cabinet bottom? Yes
11. Other distinguishing features? None
12. Cabinet markings/labels, such as serial numbers, cabinet maker labels, etc?
13. Accompanying paperwork (packing slips, purchase contracts/receipts, etc)?
14. Is it the post-fire hybrid "Amberola Vb" created to use surplus V cabinets but containing Amberola 50 internals?
15. Misc/other info and details, such as family history, unusual stories, etc.
16. Please upload photo(s) with your posting if possible.