Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

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Zwebie
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Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by Zwebie »

Seller states that it's mahogany, but the pictures make me think otherwise.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255537553476 ... SwND9igVAZ

Bob S.
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52089
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Re: Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by 52089 »

I would agree that it's Circassian. The diamond pattern on the top is kind of an Edison trademark for the Circassian machines. With 2 reproducers and drawers full of cylinders, it's quite a find if you're in the UK.

The thing is, it's a 1A motor, not a 1B. You can see the 2-and-4 switch on one of the pictures and the motor has no on/off switch on the left. Makes me wonder what else is "wrong"...

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Re: Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by phonogfp »

52089 wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 8:30 pm The thing is, it's a 1A motor, not a 1B. You can see the 2-and-4 switch on one of the pictures and the motor has no on/off switch on the left. Makes me wonder what else is "wrong"...
There's nothing wrong at all - it's a 1A, manufactured in 1910 or the first half of 1911. The cabinet was supplied by the Pooley Furniture Company. There's a 3-part article that appeared in the APS magazine in 2009 on these machines.

I sure wish this was near me!

George P.

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Re: Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by Raphael »

Another red flag: shipping is about $225. Packing and crating one of these costs more than that.

Raphael

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Re: Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by 52089 »

phonogfp wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 8:53 pm
52089 wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 8:30 pm The thing is, it's a 1A motor, not a 1B. You can see the 2-and-4 switch on one of the pictures and the motor has no on/off switch on the left. Makes me wonder what else is "wrong"...
There's nothing wrong at all - it's a 1A, manufactured in 1910 or the first half of 1911. The cabinet was supplied by the Pooley Furniture Company. There's a 3-part article that appeared in the APS magazine in 2009 on these machines.

I sure wish this was near me!

George P.
Yes, but the listing includes the following: "Plate on interior, "Edison Amberola Phonograph, Model B, Type SM, Serial number 3682."

Perhaps someone put a 1B plate on a 1A machine? 3682 would seem to be a pretty late number for a 1A, no?

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Re: Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by phonogfp »

52089 wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 9:14 pm Yes, but the listing includes the following: "Plate on interior, "Edison Amberola Phonograph, Model B, Type SM, Serial number 3682."

Perhaps someone put a 1B plate on a 1A machine? 3682 would seem to be a pretty late number for a 1A, no?
Approximately 3500 1As were built, and the first 1Bs were offered alongside the last of the 1As. As written in the final installment of the Amberola article in the September 2009 issue of the APS magazine:

Thus the first Amberola 1Bs were offered alongside the 1As, and it is expected that serial numbers may intermingle between the two models around No.3500. Indeed, Amberola No.3519 consists of a 1A mechanism capable of playing only 4-minute cylinders. There are also stock 1A mechanisms featuring brass oiler caps on their bedplates, which possibly date from this transitional period.

The machine in question being a Circassian cabinet, it may have lingered in the West Orange inventory awhile before being ordered, serially numbered, and shipped out. Someone probably forgot to reset the "B" to an "A" on the stamping machine; this has been seen on other Edison machines, especially during periods of transition.

Boy, I really do wish this was near me!

George P.

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Re: Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by Valecnik »

52089 wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 9:14 pm

Yes, but the listing includes the following: "Plate on interior, "Edison Amberola Phonograph, Model B, Type SM, Serial number 3682."

Perhaps someone put a 1B plate on a 1A machine? 3682 would seem to be a pretty late number for a 1A, no?
Hmmm.... now the listing says, "Plate on interior, "Edison Amberola Phonograph, Model A, Type SM, Serial number 2271."

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Re: Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by Garret »

Wow. This is relatively close to me. This is really, really tempting.

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Re: Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by phonogfp »

Valecnik wrote: Mon May 16, 2022 6:39 am Hmmm.... now the listing says, "Plate on interior, "Edison Amberola Phonograph, Model A, Type SM, Serial number 2271."
Speaking of red flags...! I suppose if there re more than one early Amberola on the premises, it would be possible to confuse the data plates...

George P.

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Re: Circassian Walnut Amberola - B1 ???

Post by physicist »

Edison Amberola Phonograph, Model B, Type SM, Serial number 3682. was auctioned a year ago:-
https://witherells.com/lot/edison-amber ... ph-4060487

I'm guessing that the current seller searched online for an Amberola like the one they wanted to sell and naievely cut and pasted the full description of the other machine (changing Oak to Mahogany), then later realised their mistake and updated with the correct model & serial no.

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