Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories
User avatar
EdisonWizard
Victor III
Posts: 635
Joined: Wed May 03, 2017 8:52 am
Location: Louisiana

Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by EdisonWizard »

Oh where to start!

Finally got the chance to purchase an opera! The seller would like to remain off the forum, but I just want to say he’s such a wonderful person...and hopefully I’ll be able to meet him soon..he has worked with me and been extremely helpful with everything. It arrived yesterday, perfectly packaged...no issues from postage! Finally got it together with my dad helping (which was a treat) and it’s such a beautiful machine. I’ve never seen one in person so this was great. It sounds so much better than all my other machines. I was also lucky enough to receive both the Diamond A and the Model L reproducers. Check out the photos below! Also took a little video of it playing “Are You From Dixie?”

https://youtu.be/SWQau3t1DPM

My little bubby was listening to some tunes while snacking last night!

Now to acquire a barrel cabinet to go with it :-)
Attachments
DB13B70F-0037-4801-8856-75607475F638.jpeg
0E5D5CA4-E923-4BD8-AF62-4ED8CC8594AB.jpeg
5300F8CB-F4A1-4183-95B8-5E623AC8617B.jpeg
E65FA4CB-BE17-4753-928E-50D23B877CF2.jpeg
24EEDF0C-260B-48D4-9DF4-5855A4A7FA61.jpeg
78B8DD42-CBA0-4826-B0D1-3A837DAE2982.jpeg
436ABB55-85C6-4BD7-92C8-AF88DE2275DD.jpeg
J.F.

GregVTLA
Victor III
Posts: 516
Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:40 pm
Personal Text: Greg
Location: Central Maryland

Re: Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by GregVTLA »

Looks great!! How I envy you :lol:

melvind
Victor IV
Posts: 1313
Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:23 am

Re: Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by melvind »

A beautiful machine. Have lots of fun with it!

User avatar
TinfoilPhono
Victor IV
Posts: 1926
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:48 pm
Location: SF Bay Area, Calif.

Re: Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by TinfoilPhono »

Congratulations -- it looks beautiful. And -- serial #42! That is obviously very, very early. I've seen very few 2-digit serial numbers on Operas (including my own #10). It's also terrific that you got both reproducers. At that early point it was shipped with the L, the A would have been a later upgrade.

I had my L restored by Steve Medved and it sounds even better than the A.

These are wonderful machines. I don't have to say 'enjoy it' -- that's a given. ;)

User avatar
EdisonWizard
Victor III
Posts: 635
Joined: Wed May 03, 2017 8:52 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by EdisonWizard »

TinfoilPhono wrote:Congratulations -- it looks beautiful. And -- serial #42! That is obviously very, very early. I've seen very few 2-digit serial numbers on Operas (including my own #10). It's also terrific that you got both reproducers. At that early point it was shipped with the L, the A would have been a later upgrade.

I had my L restored by Steve Medved and it sounds even better than the A.

These are wonderful machines. I don't have to say 'enjoy it' -- that's a given. ;)

Thanks!! It sounds great now, I was thinking before I received it I might have Steve rebuild them, but I think I’m gonna just enjoy it a while first. I still need to get a cabinet! Only thing I’d like to do now is get the cylinder brush...I’m uncertain if the early ones came with it...if so i wouldn’t mind finding one. That’s impressive you have #10! I would guess ours were made the same year. I do need some more black wax amberol records...most of my collection is blue amberols and 2 min.
J.F.

User avatar
marcapra
Victor V
Posts: 2180
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2012 12:29 am
Personal Text: Man who ride on tiger find it very difficult to dismount! Charlie Chan
Location: Temecula, CA

Re: Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by marcapra »

If you are not familiar with green box Amberols, you should be aware that they are much more fragile than the 2 min. wax records. I have had many green Amberols smashed during shipment, just by carriers who drop or throw the boxes around. And if they arrive in tact, they are sometimes worn out. If they are un-played, you are lucky as they sound terrific, especially opera arias. But the downside is that after around 25 plays, they start to show considerable wear. That's why Edison rushed into the celluloid records fast.
I have an oak Opera and mine had a very poor amateur restoration of the motor board. Bad paint color, sloppy painted pin striping, and bad scroll work. I had a friend, Uncle Vanya, restore the motor board and the results were quite good!
Attachments
P1000924.JPG
P1000923.JPG

User avatar
Valecnik
Victor VI
Posts: 3828
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:28 pm
Personal Text: Edison Records - Close your eyes and see if the artist does not actually seem to be before you.
Location: Česká Republika
Contact:

Re: Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by Valecnik »

Looks like the little one is quite pleased with it too! Congrats!

User avatar
fran604g
Victor VI
Posts: 3988
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:22 pm
Personal Text: I'm Feeling Cranky
Location: Hemlock, NY

Re: Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by fran604g »

Congratulations, that's a very beautiful Opera! So...what's it been, like 2 years since you started collecting? Impressive!

Best,
Fran
Francis; "i" for him, "e" for her
"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while" - the unappreciative supervisor.

Online
User avatar
phonogfp
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 7384
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:08 pm
Personal Text: "If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will." - A. Lincoln
Location: New York's Finger Lakes

Re: Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by phonogfp »

That's a very nice Opera - - undiddled-with and good looking. Just the way you want to find one.

Congratulations!

George P.

User avatar
EdisonWizard
Victor III
Posts: 635
Joined: Wed May 03, 2017 8:52 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: Behold!! My Opera finally arrived! Beautiful machine.

Post by EdisonWizard »

fran604g wrote:Congratulations, that's a very beautiful Opera! So...what's it been, like 2 years since you started collecting? Impressive!

Best,
Fran
haha! im 29 now...ive been collecting since I was about 18. Started off with a Columbia tabletop I got from a family friend's attic...then HMV tabletop...then jukebox...and now im here lol. I got my first Edison standard when I was about 20/21 or so. In the last two years though I more or less refined my focus in the hobby to Edison machines, recently picking up the Victor L door which satisfied the 78rpm itch....FOR NOW. When I joined the forum I was really able to expand my collection due to meeting so many great fellow collectors. I guess ill stop when I run out of room...but I doubt it! :P
J.F.

Post Reply