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Maker: Thomas A. Edison
Model: Amberola IV
Serial # 130
Years: Introduced October 1913
Original Cost: $100
Case/Cabinet size: 41 ½ x 21 ¼ x 22 ½
Turntable/Mandrel Size: Standard
Reproducer/Soundbox: Diamond B or optional N
Motor: Single spring of Home model F
Repro Parts: New Micamonster belt
Current Value Mint: ?
Interesting Facts: Very few made, about 100 according to Frow
Favorite Characteristic: Mission style cabinet.

This one has an interesting history with some connections to TMF. After having had an expert restoration overseen by Shawn O'Rourke he offered it for sale a few years back. I could not afford it at the time and had to pass. It came up for sale again last year and this time I went for it. Thanks to Brandon's and Shawn's assistance with transportation from the east coast to Union, I took delivery last June.

I'm aware of six complete machines including this one with Serial nos. 2, 3, 21, 52, 130, and 175. There may be a few more out there. I've also seen a brief video of the works of SN. 1 on youTube. The video is pretty poor so not 100% sure if that's true.

Bruce,

Awesome Machine! I saw this machine a couple of years ago at Union in Shawn's booth, but just couldn't muster the funds. I'm glad you got it! She's a rare bird.

Congratulations, Bob S.

Beautiful! Love the Mission Style cabinet! Not sure why it didn't catch on back then. It's design is just so much more interesting than most typical phonographs made in the US.

Thanks for sharing.
Andreas

Congratulations, Bruce! A beauty, and a rare bird indeed. I was always drawn to the combination of a Standard top works (painted in brown enamel) mated to a Home motor.

Coincidentally, I had lunch with my esteemed co-author and friend Fran (from this forum) the day before yesterday, and the subject of the Amberola IV came up. Like Andreas, we're puzzled why such an attractive cabinet didn't catch on. My comment was something like, "Let's order just a few of those Amberola IV cabinets, but why not order thousands of those Amberola III/Diamond Disc A-150 cabinets?" I'm imagining the Amberola III mechanism in the IV cabinet... Sweet!

George P.

phonogfp wrote:Congratulations, Bruce! A beauty, and a rare bird indeed. I was always drawn to the combination of a Standard top works (painted in brown enamel) mated to a Home motor.

Coincidentally, I had lunch with my esteemed co-author and friend Fran (from this forum) the day before yesterday, and the subject of the Amberola IV came up. Like Andreas, we're puzzled why such an attractive cabinet didn't catch on. My comment was something like, "Let's order just a few of those Amberola IV cabinets, but why not order thousands of those Amberola III/Diamond Disc A-150 cabinets?" I'm imagining the Amberola III mechanism in the IV cabinet... Sweet!

George P.

Great minds think alike George. I've also often wondered why Edison didn't offer the Opera, 1B, III mechanism in this cabinet. Most likely because he wanted to use up all those extra Home motors.

Andreas, Bob, thanks also for your comments. It is a great machine. Now if it only would fit in my carry on....

Somebody needs to make one up - there are lots of folks making knock-off Stickley Morris Chairs for decent prices, and if we could get an owner to provide accurate Amberola IV cabinet measurements, it could be done.

Brother Valecnik, when you have a moment, please measure the Amberola III (or an I) mech and horn combo and check it against the Amberola IV container space - will it fit, as is?

As someone with a Craftsman style home and decor, I would think real hard about making one of these up - using a surplus/stray mechanism and horn, of course. As it stands now, our living room has a nice B-60 on a fumed oak library table, but this would be far cooler.

I admire the tin work of the horns in the pre-30/50/75 Amberolas; it's pretty complicated and I imagine was mostly done by hand. The painting & graining of even the hidden parts is a bonus.

ps - A Buffalo dealer had a IV on display at the time; I keep my eye out for it! I know it isn't in the old building, because that was gutted by fire about 30 years ago.

Well, what a nice machine Bruce! Thanks for posting this, are we on the same wavelength or what!?

As George pointed out, we were just discussing this model on Wednesday. I would love to have seen this cabinet used for a Diamond Disc model, and I can't for the life of me understand why the style wouldn't have been a popular success, especially when considering the way people were going googly over the Arts & Crafts movement in so many other ways.

Incidentally, this would go great alongside the rocker and chair I have stored in my shop upstairs that were my wife's grand-parents (not that I could ever afford one).

Best,
Fran

A bird so rare that I have never seen color photos of one until now. Thanks for sharing!

VintageTechnologies wrote:A bird so rare that I have never seen color photos of one until now.

Ouch! Now that hurts...!

In The Talking Machine Compendium, two color images of an Amberola IV (serial No.2) are shown on pages 184 and 185. In Phonographs with Flair, an Amberola IV is given a full-page layout with three color images shown on page 30.

You cut me to the quick...

George P.