The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello everyone! I have an Edison Amberola Mark 50 that has a bad spring in the motor (possibly both springs) and I'm at a bit of a loss on how to disassemble the motor to get at the springs. I've pulled the motor out and removed the shaft that goes through the drums and end gear, the drums and gear are loose and separate just a bit from each other but they do not seem to come apart and I'm afraid to pull them any harder in case I break something. Does anyone know about rebuilding these motors? Do these parts come apart completely? Or am I supposed to unsolder the spring cases at this point to finish disassembly and get at the springs themselves?

There isn't anyone local that I've found who knows how to work on these, and I've gotten repair quotes from out of state repair shops but the cost of labor is quite high and it would cost almost as much as what I paid for the phonograph to have it professionally repaired. That's kind of my fall back plan at this point but I'm hoping I can do this myself, any advice you might be able to offer would be greatly appreciated!

I have a 30 which only was equipped with one spring, not two...the motors are otherwise identical.

Whatever you do, DON'T unsolder ANYTHING! I must yell in ALL CAPS like I'm on REDDIT because otherwise one might make a mistake...and the last two mistakes I made changing out Edison springs weren't pretty. One propelled a castiron barrel into the garden where the gear sawed halfway into a watermelon. The other one (I was sitting on the porch of the barn working on it) burst out of the barrel with a one-way ticket to Ballsville, USA. I walked funny for a while after that one.

That said, Edison machines are relatively simple. I think the Amberola is a nicer mechanical design than the early belt-drive models.

Try checking the ends of the barrel to see how your covers are attached. Maybe someone else with more experience on the 50 model will come along. Good luck on your restoration--it's a lot simpler than you probably think it is, which should be a big relief. Makes it easier to play music!

Contact George Vollema or Ron Sitko, they can install these in your spring barrels and you won't have to worry about all that greasy flying springs or injuries.