Nickel-Plated Opera

[Raphael]

I just drove from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale, and along the way picked up this Opera, Serial #1165, from a fellow collector/dealer.

The unusual aspect of this, of course, is that the bedplate and upper works gear covers, etc. are nickel-plated, as is the horn elbow.

I've spoken to a few fellows who are far more knowledgeable than me and they say that they've never seen a nickel-plated Opera, but Don Gfell advised me that one could special-order such finishes from the factory. The plating seems old, for sure, so if somebody did this post-factory it certainly was a long time ago.

Does anybody here have anything else they could add?

thanks,

Raphael

[gramophone78]

There was a man up here that was making both gold and nickel plated Opera's in the 1980's. I seen a gold one recently, and it is now showing age to it. Can't say for sure if the one you posted is one of his or not.He sold them to collectors everywhere.

He was also notorious for taking mechs from Amberola's and using them for some of these "fantasy" Opera's.

Funny, back then we were all saying..."these may fool collectors in the future as they age".

[Raphael]

I too suspect it's a post-factory job. And since the 1980's, I've become an antique as well!

Raphael

[gramophone78]

I too suspect it's a post-factory job. And since the 1980's, I've become an antique as well!

Raphael

As we all have... . They were not cheap. I wish I could remember what he was selling them for...I want to say 5-7 thousand. However, I could be wrong.

He was also buying up every Victor nickel three spring motor (early & later type), gold tone arms and parts (a lot of VTLA's and early XVI's were sacrificed). Even had back brackets cast in order to make "fantasy" Victor VI's. Thankfully, that project never got off the ground.

[Curt A]

Whatever happened, this is an interesting finish and looks good.

[gramophone78]

One of the biggest travesties in all this was cutting perfectly good Music Master horns for disc machines in order to create an Edison Opera bell with a repro horn collar.

What a shame to ruin perfectly good MM horns for 'fantasy' machines.... .

[stevenhman]

I kinda like it. Thanks for posting pictures of it!

I know I had seen ads with the nickel plated option, but I've only seen the earlier ads. None of which included the Opera. This is a bit off topic, but does anyone have a picture(s) of a nickle-plated Standard?

[epigramophone]

I too suspect it's a post-factory job. And since the 1980's, I've become an antique as well!

Raphael

If this was indeed a factory special order I would have expected the reproducer to have been nickel plated as well. The usual oxidised bronze reproducer, nice as it is, looks incongruous. Right or wrong, this is still a spectacular looking machine.

[Raphael]

Actually, I substituted the reproducer, so it definitely is not original to the piece. The one that came with it was in poor condition.

Raphael

[phonogfp]

It's a nice-looking machine alright, but I have been unable to find any period documentation that nickel plating was available as a factory option for the Opera.

We do know that the paint on Operas can sometimes age badly, and I suspect that's what happened to this example before it was nickeled. That would also explain why the data plate is not the type found on factory-nickeled examples of earlier machines.

George P.