Edison Cylinder Machine

[m_nakamura]

Hi Forum! My auntie told me that while clearing out my great-grandmothers belongings to move her into a care facility she found an "Edison Phonograph.",
I don't have photos at the moment, she told me she'd get them when she goes back early May.

The phonograph is an "Edison Concert Phonograph", I asked if it had a horn and she said no.

I also asked if she was able to test it, but apparently it's missing the crank to wind it up.

I've never had a cylinder phonograph. What should I expect and is this a good model of cylinder phonograph?

Thanks!

[JerryVan]

There were two different Concert models. Either one would be a very nice find!

A sample of each, taken from the internet.

Screenshot 2025-04-16 181154.png (133.68 KiB) Viewed 1574 times

Screenshot 2025-04-16 181103.png (212.29 KiB) Viewed 1574 times

[m_nakamura]

Hmmm. That's cool!! Would it work without the horn or do I need it to play?

The thing the cylinders go on looks much larger than what I've seen on the internet!

[JerryVan]

Hmmm. That's cool!! Would it work without the horn or do I need it to play?

The thing the cylinders go on looks much larger than what I've seen on the internet!

You don't need a horn to play it, but it would sound much better. The Concert model with the larger mandrel* plays 5" diameter Concert cylinders. They can be a challenge to find at a reasonable price & condition. The other style Concert plays regular size cylinders.

*The thing that the cylinders go on.

[phonogfp]

Millie,

An article on the 5-inch mandrel variety of the Edison Concert appeared in the December 2024 issue of the APS magazine. I believe you're our newest APS "Student Scholarship" recipient, so you should be able to easily access either the hard copy or the digital edition on the APS website. If you're interested, I can send you a PDF of the article.

These early (1899-1907) Concerts are interesting in that they were cutting-edge for volume and clarity, but were obsolete by 1902. As Jerry has mentioned, Edison Concert/Columbia Grand Records can be difficult to locate and expensive to buy. They're really advanced collector machines but if you're being gifted one, that's a wonderful thing!

The later (1911-1913) Edison Concert (originally named the Opera) is a technically advanced machine that plays 4-minute celluloid cylinders like Edison Blue Amberols or 4-minute Indestructibles. These are sought after by collectors for their beauty and excellent playing capabilities. Records for it are the most common type available, so it's a more practical machine (but since when was collecting "practical?").

Either way - congratulations!

George P.

[paradroid1793]

“Concert” or “Grand” machines play oversized cylinders (5”), records are usually available but not at a cheap price. Cheapest on eBay is around $50~.

Blanks are still made by Paul Morris and Graphophone Exposition. (However the latters listings have dissapeared?)

New Concert Cylinders made from Black Wax in addition to Brown Wax have appeared also.

Best of luck!

[Lucius1958]

Sometimes you will find Concerts that were converted from 5 inch cylinders to regular size. When the larger cylinders became obsolete, the owners would occasionally have the machine modified by an Edison dealer (Edison provided adapter kits), rather than buy a whole new phonograph.

-Bill

[drh]

That's wonderful, not just that you're getting a desirable machine but that it's coming down to you through your family. A real treasure.

If it is for the 5" cylinders, before going off to sink money into any you should be aware that Pathé also made oversized cylinders that are not compatible--their diameter is larger than standard size but smaller than that of the 5" concert size. They are known as "Salon" or "Inter" size and can't fit on a concert size machine's mandrel. They are not common and tend to be expensive, but they're not as bad in either respect as the 5" concert ones.

Regarding horns, you really will need one to enjoy the machine, whichever type it is. An alternative, though, would be listening tubes, basically a length of hose that fits onto the reproducer at one end and has a pair of ear pieces at the other, like a stethoscope.

[m_nakamura]

Okay! I showed her the pictures Jerry attached, and she said it's definitely the one with the larger mandrel.

How much would a horn cost and does anyone know where to buy the Concert Cylinders?

Thanks!!

[Homestead]

Concert cylinders can be found on eBay or Vulcan Records in the UK. The Vulcan ones are of durable plastic/vinyl. So they are indestructible. Prices about 100.00 +