Edison Standard ICS questions...

[De Soto Frank]

I was killing time today, spelunking around a local Antique Barn, which features highly priced, "refinished" furniture.

They did have two talking machines: a spider-legged Victor X, and an Edison Standard bearing a celluloid ICS (International Correspondence School) tag.

There were a variety of things about the Edison that did not make sense to me, at least as an ICS machine:

> speed control knob located under the bed-plate.

> "C" or "D" case, but the upper-works has an end-gate for the mandrel.

> No repeater mechanism ( or signs of one )

> Reproducer is an Edison "C", with the adjusting lever a la "Automatic", but the carrier has a locking-thumbscrew, index lug at 12 o'clock, and the reproducer top has a notch for said lug. The reproducer appears to be an original, with a serial number. The carrier also has a knurled push/pull button to lift the carriage, instead of a lever.

When I tried to play it, the mandrel bogged-down and it seemed like the stylus bar was digging-into the cylinder.

I removed the reproducer, and cylinder, and "played" the machine again , to check the speed against the timing marks on the back-rod... as I was doing this, I noticed the eye & front of the carriage bobbing up and down. A closer look revealed that the sliding surface of the carriage was not even touching the straight-edge. I could gently push it into contact with the straight-edge, but it would pop back up when I removed my finger. I did not see any signs of a missing roller-wheel.


All these anomalies put together make me think this machine is a "bitsa" - bits of this and bits of that, bodged together, and a B works dropped onto an ICS case. The case was refinished, so there is no decal. I couldn't see if there was a "ghost" from the original decal.

It does come with an original (?) 14" black & brass "witches hat".

They've had it for sale for at least 10 years, and now have it marked down to $725... ( cough-cough )

I'm not seriously interested in purchasing it, but I am curious as to whether it's really an ICS model or not ?

Any thoughts ?

[Dave D]

The lack of a repeater mechanism or any indication that it ever had one has me believing that this is a machine put together out of spare parts. A real ICS would have the repeater mechanism.
Dave D

[martinola]

I'm with Dave on this. "Bitsa" is a great name for stuff like this. I'm certainly no expert on ICS stuff. I've seen ICS As and Bs with end gates, but at least they all seem to have the top mounted speed adjuster and the special carrier arm with repeater.

$725! Priced to stay!!

Martin

[Jerry B.]

I nothing else I learned a new word today. I agree, it's probably a machine with bits of several Standards. To the best of my knowledge all ICS Standards have the speed control on top. It should show signs of a phrase repeater. Jerry

[De Soto Frank]

"Priced to Stay!" I like that, Martin !


Jerry, I learned the term "bitsa" from British motorcycle guys... one of their slang terms...


If I get back up there, I will get the serial # of the machine. They have a "no photos" policy.


FWIW, the "spider-leg" Victrola X was priced at $795, and was also "refinished"... red mahogany, but no grain-filler...

[Phonofreak]

I agree that this ICS Standard is cobbled together from other Standards. I think you coined a new term in the phonograph hobby. I really like Bitsa. I guess that ranks above frankenphone. So now the rankng structure is crapophone, the lowest, next up is frankenphone, and bitsa is the highest. Priced to stay, that's a good one. I guess this seller will enjoy dusting the Standard or the VV X for another 10 years.
Harvey Kravitz