Inventory of Beethoven and Schubert Edisonic phonographs

[fran604g]

Thanks! It still needs some work, but it's in pretty good shape and I do like it. And also yes, always a (very) nice bonus when the machine still has its original paper and/or accessories.

I had to take the picture at an angle to minimize glare and shadows so I hope that's okay. The front of the machine is pretty alligatored and there's a big gouge in the middle of the right door, obscured by brown stain (not my doing). It's hard to see in the picture but the right door knob is slightly higher than the left one, and pictures in this thread indicate it's not the only one like that. Another example of cabinet quality problems with later Edison machines, I suppose.

Unfortunately I don't know the complete provenance, and it's not the happiest of stories. The person I bought it from was apparently selling it on behalf of his friend, who'd recently been hospitalized and was having to go into assisted living soon, so needed to start downsizing. He liked to collect antiques and old stuff in general, and though he'd had it for a long time, it wasn't something from his family.

Thank you for your response and additional photo.

I hope you enjoy your Schubert for many years to come.

Best,
Fran

[cheryla]

We have a Beethoven, serial number 2646 with two spring barrels, we purchased this in Alabama.
We also have a Schubert, serial number 2750 purchased in Tennessee.

[cheryla]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrLxttIPN0U

[JD250]

I’ve got an Edisonic Schubert serial number 4262 I bought in Maryland in 2021. it’s now located in Massachusetts. I believe that the eBay listing was posted here but I just wanted to say that I am the purchaser and it’s got a long term home. I built a baseplate frame for it just need to stain it. It plays great I sent the reproducer off to Steven Medved and had it rebuilt and the original stylus is still in good condition as well as the original diaphragm. I plan to do a comparison between the C-250 and the Edisonic soon, using a decibel reader.

here are some photos:

[SonjaK]

I have a Beethoven, serial 1055. We purchased it about 20 years ago at auction, but have had no idea until recently about its potential.

It needs work on the outside and cleaning up on the inside.

I’m quite sure it will take me a long while to get it in good repair, but I’ll be working hard at it.

Cheney, KS

[pg1876]

Well here is an interesting one: a Schubert with New Edison decal, serial number 3080! Perhaps they found a batch of New Edison cabinets after running some Edisonics.

This is currently for sale in northern GA for $100. Hopefully someone from the forum is able to save it:

[Inigo]

Never knew before that there was a DD version of Waller on the Ivories...

[drh]

Well here is an interesting one: a Schubert with New Edison decal, serial number 3080! Perhaps they found a batch of New Edison cabinets after running some Edisonics. ...

Could this be the missing link/smoking gun/choose your metaphor? I've seen speculation that the Schubert Edisonics are marked "CLT" on the data plates because they were originally going to be the "Consolette" long play phonos, which evidently no one has ever seen. The long players were labeled "The New Edison," right? The presence of that label on the Schubert under discussion might well be evidence for the proposition it was repurposed from planned use as a long play Consolette.

[pg1876]

Yes indeed, drh, and that assertion is discussed at length earlier in the thread (around pg. 33, for reference). I found the serial number on this one interesting (3080), because all other recorded examples of this mix have substantially lower serial numbers (ie 1008).

[Inigo]

Yes, in page 33 of this thread it is one example of a painted Schubert with serial CLT 3109, which could be another example of lost link for LP Consolettes cabinets used t to fit this model. BTW other photos in the thread are lost, but not the offending ones...