SOLD: 1896 Amet Echophone: $5000

[phonogfp]

Echoad4.jpg (89.24 KiB) Viewed 1613 times

Edward H. Amet is a name well-known to historians of early talking machine history. His early (1894-96) spring motors were sold through the Chicago Talking Machine Company, and they powered Edison Class M and Bell-Tainter Graphophone mechanisms. Nowadays, Amet-powered machines of that sort sell for well north of 5-digit figures - - if you can find one.

On November 20, 1895, Amet filed a U.S. Patent (granted as No.562,694) on a complete talking machine which appeared sometime in 1896. This historically important machine - eventually known as the Echophone - would be the first low-cost talking machine offered to the public. Designed to sell at only $5.00, one can imagine the reaction of Edison and Columbia, whose cheapest machines retailed at $40 at the time. Columbia quickly brought suit, and Amet was legally forbidden from manufacturing Echophones after December 1896. As partial damages, Columbia was awarded all unsold Echophones in Amet's inventory.

At that point (early 1897), advertisements began to appear from a variety of companies anxious to sell Echophones (bought from Columbia) or give them away as premiums. Here's a typical ad from the August 1897 issue of Demorest's Family Magazine:

Echoad1001.jpg (131.98 KiB) Viewed 1613 times

The Echophone can claim several historic "firsts." It was the first low-cost talking machine (even the Q Graphophone - introduced 3 years later - could not beat its price). It was the first talking machine to wind with a key. It was the first talking machine to employ a tone arm and adjustable stylus pressure - - all in 1896. It's no wonder that Columbia wanted this machine out of way before introducing its "Eagle" Graphophone in August 1897.

The Echophone's short life and limited production (it's uncertain just how many were manufactured), as well as its fragile nature, has resulted in very few survivors (estimated today at about 25-30). Here is your opportunity to own one of these historic machines.

Echo1.jpg (50.18 KiB) Viewed 1613 times

This example is in nice condition and fully functioning. As you can see, it is equipped with ear tubes (Jean-Paul Agnard's excellent reproductions) and includes the lid (sometimes missing on survivors).

Echo3.jpg (67.08 KiB) Viewed 1613 times

The slightly indented gutta-percha mandrel was an attempt to evade Edison's patent on the tapered mandrel. This didn't work out any better for Amet than Thomas Lambert's later pink celluloid cylinder "evasion" of the same patent. Note the "Echophone" stamping in the wood base.

Echo4.jpg (46.13 KiB) Viewed 1613 times

With the lid in place, the Echophone presents a neat, innocuous little package which hides a lot of early talking machine history.

APS members can see an Echophone playing in the "Videos" section of the web site: http://www.antiquephono.org/

Additionally, members can read articles on the Echophone on the website by using "Echophone" as a search, or by referring to The New Amberola Graphic, No.51, Winter 1985; and The Sound Box, December 2005.

With its drawn glass stylus, this is not a machine you'd want for daily playing of cylinders. If you're interested in a machine of this caliber, you already know that. (Yet, I've demonstrated it to several visitors who have been impressed by its output.) This Echophone speaks history, and it represents the first serious attempt to place a talking machine in the hands of virtually everyone.

If you're interested in adding this rare Echophone to your collection, I'll be happy to provide additional photos and describe what little work I did on it. Just shoot me a PM. This is "no apologies" talking machine.

I can deliver this machine to the APS Expo in August or the Wayne show in October. The entire machine including ear tubes weighs only 5 lbs., 1.2 oz., so shipping would be nominal.

George P.

[Victor A]

Out of curiosity, I assume this only has the technical ability to play brown wax cylinders?

-Jack

[phonogfp]

The Echophone can play any two-minute cylinder (brown wax, moulded, or celluloid) except the 6-inch Columbia Twentieth Century variety. Brown wax would be most historically appropriate, of course, since Echophones had disappeared from the market by 1898.

George P.

[Phono-Phan]

Thanks for making this extremely rare and historical phonograph available. I have only seen one other in over 35 years of collecting. It also had the listening tube and earpiece. I have never seen one with the horn. Good luck on your sale of this one!
Ken

[phonogfp]

Thanks, Ken.

In my previous post, I cited 1898 for the disappearance of the Echophone, but something was gnawing at my little brain... I did a little pawing through some files and found this letter dated May of 1899. The Empire Talking Machine Company in New York City was offering Echophones "...to the Export Trade..." in lots of 100 to 1000 for only $1.50 each! Evidently, they were having trouble unloading them.

We think it to ourselves all the time: Wouldn't it be great to go back?

George P.

[melvind]

George, I love this machine and only wish I had the $$$. Good luck with it and I can't believe you are letting it go! I am envious of whoever ends up with it.

Dan

[edisonclassm]

I would definitely not recommend anyone playing a celluloid cylinder on this machine. The glass ball will wear rapidly producing a rough flat then damaging brown wax when playing them. Fixing the worn and damaged stylus can be a tricky proposition. The California parts dealers years ago would sell repro Columbia floating reproducers with a glass stylus. I've had to replace countless numbers of them with new sapphires

[Jerry B.]

[phonogfp]

I would definitely not recommend anyone playing a celluloid cylinder on this machine. The glass ball will wear rapidly producing a rough flat then damaging brown wax when playing them. Fixing the worn and damaged stylus can be a tricky proposition. The California parts dealers years ago would sell repro Columbia floating reproducers with a glass stylus. I've had to replace countless numbers of them with new sapphires

I agree. With a glass stylus, I don't recommend playing anything to excess, or beyond an occasional demonstration. Glass wears much sooner than sapphire, and you won't find Echophone glass tubes at the regular suppliers!

It's a historic machine - not a regular player. Just like Berliners, Bell-Tainters, other Amet-motored machines, etc...

George P.

[phonogfp]

SOLD!

George P.