Finding an edison diamond disc machine in the UK

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kirtley2012
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Finding an edison diamond disc machine in the UK

Post by kirtley2012 »

I quite like edison diamond disc machines, only saw my first one in person recently, I was going to look into getting one but I was wondering how often do they show up this side of the water? , I've got other things and projects to prioritise before then, but when they're out the way I'd quite like to track one down

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Re: Finding an edison diamond disc machine in the UK

Post by jmad7474 »

I am in the USA, so I cannot speak for UK collectors about how often they encounter Edison disc phonos on their side of the pond. However, you should be pleased to know that Edison marketed several disc machines for export to the UK, with most of them intended for British record buyers. I myself have seen three of them (two LU-37s and an LC-38) here in the States at antique shops, and I can't imagine it would be too much of a hassle to find one in the UK. As long as you are not picky about a particular model, I think you will do fine!

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Re: Finding an edison diamond disc machine in the UK

Post by Jerry B. »

The common ordinary Diamond Disc machine here in the States is an easy find at a very modest cost. Even though some models were made for export I don't think they sold very well. I believe most any Diamond Disc model is difficult to find overseas. But I wish Kirtley the best of luck finding one.

Jerry Blais

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Re: Finding an edison diamond disc machine in the UK

Post by jmad7474 »

Jerry B. wrote:The common ordinary Diamond Disc machine here in the States is an easy find at a very modest cost. Even though some models were made for export I don't think they sold very well. I believe most any Diamond Disc model is difficult to find overseas. But I wish Kirtley the best of luck finding one.

Jerry Blais
I was also going to suggest that if time is an imperative factor, Kirtley should purchase a working common tabletop model (such as a B-19 "Chalet" model or similar) online, and have it professionally shipped to the UK. While the cost of doing this would probably be high, it would not be much more expensive than the time and money spent searching for a UK Edison machine, transporting it back to his/her residence and restoring it. I would be curious to know how often the Diamond Disc records are found in the UK compared to standard shellac 78s, though!

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Re: Finding an edison diamond disc machine in the UK

Post by CarlosV »

Edison DD players are relatively common in England, and are not expensive - these machines are not popular among most native collectors, who mostly value HMVs (with a niche market for Experts/EMGs). Just look around and ask, including the specialized dealers, they frequently have unsold machines in their stock. It will be much cheaper than importing one from the US.

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Re: Finding an edison diamond disc machine in the UK

Post by epigramophone »

As a rough guide to prices in the UK, the CLPGS Members Auction in October 2016 included three DD machines.

H19 Hepplewhite with 9 discs sold for £100.
H19 in non-original cabinet sold for £100.
B19 Chalet sold for £250. This was considered a very good price.

The unpopularity of DD machines in the UK is at least partly due to the difficulty in obtaining good discs over here. Some of my Edison collector friends holiday in the USA to coincide with large fairs such as Union, and return with heavier luggage and lighter wallets.

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Re: Finding an edison diamond disc machine in the UK

Post by GeorgeG »

You shouldn't have any trouble finding one in the UK. When I lived there I owned a couple of them. When Christie's did auctions they were in most, but SAS Auctions near Reading will have them from time to time. You should also ask Howard Hope....he'll know of one looking for a good home. But be sure to buy one with the 250 horn if you want the best sound. Stay away from the A 100 or the B 80. The Chippendale was popular there, but it'll be a C19 not a C 250. World War I kept the early DD machines out of the country so it wasn't until 1919 that they started to import them in any number.

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