JS Model on Page 21 of "Look For The Dog"

[zipcord]

Does anyone know what the J and the S stand for in the JS Model?

I'm assuming the J stands for Johnson.

Thanks

[phonogfp]

It's hard to know for sure, but it's been thought that "JS" stood for "Johnson Scheme." Although today the word "scheme" has taken on a nefarious meaning, in the 1890s it merely meant a "plan," especially when involved in selling.

The low manufacturing cost of the JS would have made it a good candidate for "scheme goods" (accompanied by free merchandise or earned by selling bottles of dye, etc.) The JS was briefly offered for $15.00 by National Gramophone, with no known scheme involved.

Whatever plans the company had for the JS, they were evidently dropped within a short time.

Here's a photo of an actual JS, as published in The Talking Machine Compendium, by Fabrizio & Paul:

From "The Talking Machine Compendium" by Fabrizio & Paul. All Rights Reserved.

George P.

[Yamaphone]

Could the "S" in "JS"have stood for Seamon? Could this machine have been produced in response to Frank Seamon's request for a lower priced Gramophone?

Dan Z.

[Mlund2020]

Here is a picture of my Berliner JS. I had always heard that the JS stood for “Johnson Special”. I know that there has been a lot of speculation in the past as too the exact meaning of JS. I suspect that George Paul probably has more insight into its true meaning than I.

[phonogfp]

Well, I don't know if my insight into the meaning of "JS" is any better than yours, Mike. "Johnson Scheme," "Johnson Special," maybe "Johnson Sport!"

In any event, the JS appeared in late 1898, and despite earlier conjecture that it was advertised as the "$18 Gramophone" (including a caption in the Compendium!), it originally sold for $15.00. Here's an ad from the November 1898 issue of Munsey's Magazine:

From "Munsey's Magazine," November 1898.

The "$18 Gramophone" turns out to have been the tried-and-true Improved Gramophone, whose price had been lowered from $25.00 to $18.00 in 1899. I didn't learn all of this until about 20 years ago. It never fails: put something into print and you quickly learn something that would have been nice to know sooner!

I've never seen a JS with a National Gramophone Corporation decal rather than the Company version. The company was recapitalized in March 1899, and I'm curious to know if the JS was sold by the new entity.

George P.

[Mlund2020]

Thanks for the updated information George. Much of what I know of the JS came form your books, so I would definitely consider you the expert. I guess that I need to update my display description tag with this new information. I hope that you don’t mind that a lot of the information used in many of my display description tags (this one included) was borrowed form your books. The ad is great and clears up a lot on its original price.

[Mlund2020]

I love the advertisements comparison of the JS to their higher priced ‘Improved’ Gramophone:

“We doubt, however, whether it would fill every part of the New York Metropolitan Opera House, as our Standard $25 Machine did, by actual test, or reproduce a cornet solo so that it can be heard two miles.”

I feel that I need to scrap the 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound of my theatre room and replace it with what sounds like the clearly superior sound reproduction of the ‘Improved’ Gramophone. I think I have enough ‘Trademark’ machines to do some Berliner Surround sound in my theatre room. I’ll let you know how that works out, I think I’m on to something here.

[OrthoFan]

I'll throw in another possibility. The Victor Type A from 1901, which was nearly identical, and a follow-on to the "Berliner JS," was equipped with "Johnson's 'New Century' or 'Standard' sound box," with the Concert sound box available for $3.00 extra, according to LFTD.

So, could JS stamped on the sound box -- see: https://www.intertique.com/JSBerlinerID.html -- stand for Johnson Standard, indicating the type of reproducer used?

----------------------

Victor Type A shown with Concert sound box -- http://www.phonographcompany.com/index. ... &detail=20

----------------------

OrthoFan

[phonogfp]

I hope that you don’t mind that a lot of the information used in many of my display description tags (this one included) was borrowed form your books.

I don't mind at all - that's what the books are for...but it's a little embarrassing when they contain inaccurate information! But in our defense, the Second Edition of the Compendium (2005) contains a corrected caption for the JS...one of over 100 corrections/additions.

George P.

[Mlund2020]

I'll throw in another possibility. The Victor Type A from 1901, which was nearly identical, and a follow-on to the "Berliner JS," was equipped with "Johnson's 'New Century' or 'Standard' sound box," with the Concert sound box available for $3.00 extra, according to LFTD.

So, could JS stamped on the sound box -- see: https://www.intertique.com/JSBerlinerID.html -- stand for Johnson Standard, indicating the type of reproducer used?

----------------------

Victor Type A shown with Concert sound box -- http://www.phonographcompany.com/index. ... &detail=20

----------------------

OrthoFan

The Berliner JS was very short lived, resulting in it’s extreme rarity today. I believe that it was the attempt of Berliner and Johnson to appease Frank Seaman’s ongoing request for a less expensive machine that he could market. It was apparently too little too late and soon after this machine was released, the courts put the Berliner Gramophone company out of business in the US. Johnson continued the less expensive metal motor housing for a few additional years in his lower priced Type A machine which retained the traditional tone arm assembly of the ‘Improved’ Gramophone. The metal motor housing was also offered by G&T in Europe in their Style 4 machine for quite a few years after Johnson discontinued his model A machine. G&T even offered a higher end version (that I have pictured here) with a mahogany base and nickeled horn. Maybe George can clarify, but I think that the G&T style 4 with metal motor housing was released in 1897 which would predate the Berliner JS.