Edison Amberola 1A In Windsor Cabinet

[Aaron]

You guy will like this one.So i decided to post it.I cant afford it but would love to be able too if the story in the discription is true.Maybe one of you guys should buy it

http://cgi.ebay.com/EDISON-AMBEROLA-1A- ... dZViewItem

Aaron

[Amberola 1-A]

Aaron,

This appears to be a fantasy piece to me. It looks like it has been cobbled together with parts from a 1-A and the base from a Balmoral or similar machine.

[JohnM]

That horn elbow is exactly what is on the nickel-plated I-A mech that I have, except on mine the elbow is nickel plated. I have seen two others of these: one a painted bed plate in an oak Opera case in a California collection; the other on eBay back in 2001 or so that was painted, but had all metal-finish parts (including the elbow) bright gold plated. It was ugly.

My nickel-plated version was found in California as well. I wish I knew more about the origin of those elbows . . . I think that may be a big clue factor in the origin of the present eBay machine. The nickel plating on the elbow of mine appears to be as old as the plating on the rest of the mech . . . but how old is that? John M

[Valecnik]

John,

I can't say for sure but I would guess the eBAY machine is a coin op with 1A mechanism and mounting post,(for horn) from an Opera.

From the picture of your mechanism I would guess you have a 1A mechanism from an Oak 1A cabinet. The gun metal mechanism almost always went with an oak cabinet. I would also think you have the same mounting post from an Opera bolted onto your mechanism. If you look at my website www.bojo.cz/phonograph then click on Edison and scroll down until you see pictures of the Opera, 1A, III, and 1B I think you will see what I mean.

Cheer,
Bruce

PS: What is your 1A mechanism mounted in? i cannot tell from the picture. Looks like it would sound pretty good though.

[JohnM]

Bruce,
Thanks for your reply. Although it is difficult to tell from the photo I posted, the mech is not gun metal. Although it could use a wheel polishing, it is nickel. I've had gun metal I-A's before and I'm familiar with them. The nickel mech was found hornless in the estate of a radio collector in California's central valley, and was the only phonographic item in the collection. As found and in the photo, it was simply dropped into the lid from an old sewing machine. I am looking for an Opera case for it. There is a 90-degree elbow fitting at the end of the horn stanchion where the Amberola horn throat would normally attach that allows an Opera horn to be fitted. The plating on the fitting looks as old as the plating on the mech, just like the paint on the eBay machine's elbow looks as old as the paint on the rest of the mech. I have previously seen two other machines with this adapter besides mine -- plus the one currently on eBay -- as I said in my previous post. The oak example that I examined in the late Ken Blazier's collection in California was so good it looked factory (that was the first one I ever saw). When I asked Ken if Edison ever did such a thing, he just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head -- no opinion -- and Ken knew his stuff. I think the discovery of the origin of those adapters would explain a lot! The story of the machine presently on eBay being a personal gift from Edison is a lot to digest on top of everything else about that machine!

Here's a couple of more shots of the nickel mech:





I have no explanation for the existence of these Opera/Amberolas. Perhaps these elbows were made by some early collector to 'fool' people, but why? Perhaps Edison remaindered obsolete I-A mechs and Opera horns to someone who intended to combine the two . . . ? . . . but I doubt it. Look at the condition of my mech vs the one in the Windsor cabinet. Someone played the heck out of the one in the Windsor and my mandrel is virtually perfect . . . so when was the elbow added? Indiscriminately on whatever mech could be had, or when 'new'? Those horn elbows and the existence of these machines really bugs me.

BTW, it does sound really great! I have it mounted in a very rough Opera case now, so it doesn't look its best yet, but I play it quite frequently since it has the advantage of 2/4-minute speeds and the fine external horn of an Opera. The mech is noisier than my Operas, but not enough to notice with a cylinder blasting away on it.

John M

[Valecnik]

Hi John, Very interesting. I leave it to other members of the forum to comment because I just don't know

thanks for the additional pics.

Bruce

[Amberola 1-A]

It seems that none of the big guns snapped up this "rarity."