The Oak L-Door 16

[gramophone78]

I forgot to show the main machine I went to see. I just wish I had the room for this. It has such a great color and grain. As I was leaving the lady said she had one last machine hiding in a closet. It turn out to be a "Fireside" 2-4 minute with a "K" reproducer. To prove how bad my Edison knowledge is......I said to the lady....."nice Standard". I really thought it was. That was until I arrived home a saw the "K". Then I read the plate. Fireside serial # A36231. George, what year did this one leave the factory???.... . Is it not unusual that the four holes in the back of the case for the cygnet crane has never been used..???. I wonder why??.

[FellowCollector]

Again, 2 more nicely preserved machines. The Fireside has a bedplate with little wear present and near perfect striping that surely looks original. The oak cabinet finish on it looks a bit dry but acceptible and the lid in the background had lovely oak grain figure - unuusal for Edison lids as most have plain, rather straight oak grain. The L-door oak XVI looks nice as well. I have never found an oak L-door XVI that did not have highly figured grain unlike many of the later Victor oak floor models that are adorned with a more subdued figure to the grain. I would have come home with the Fireside and Amberola V if the price was fair to both you and the lady selling them. The oak L-door is nice if you have the room as you mentioned. They're heavy as hell but hard to find like this.

[JohnM]

Unfortunately, the exterior of the L-door has been stripped of it's original darker finish.

[gramophone78]

Unfortunately, the exterior of the L-door has been stripped of it's original darker finish.

John, I have a feeling the finish was "gunmetal" or "driftwood" given the dark inside. In person,the outside is not much different to the inside. It could be just from exposure to sun and time??. Also, I see around the feet the finish is still dark and the case seems to have the crazing but, it may have been refinished many years ago....???.

I gave the Fireside a light cleaning. I may just list it on "Yankee Trader". I am not going to start collecting these too.... .

[Jerry B.]

That Fireside looks like a "keeper" to me. The Fireside was made very late in the horn era and is not nearly as common as most cylinder machines. In addition, it plays both two and four minute cylinders and does not take up much space. There's no need to be a "collector" of cylinder machines. You have it all! Jerry Blais

[gramophone78]

I could not understand why the tone arm was limited in it's sway. Now I see there is a internal stay inside the bracket. Was this "stay" used on all the L-doors??. The tone arm body is so mint it sparkles. I wish I could use it on another horn machine... . The Canadian dealer tag is also one I have never seen.

[OrthoSean]

Every L-door I've owned has had that "stay". My early XIV also has one. I think my table model X and XI also have them, but I can't recall 100%. That back bracket on yours looks a little different then any I've seen, I wonder if that was meant for Canadian machines only?

Nice L-door. They really do "pop" in oak, I picked one up about a year ago in gun metal oak at a local auction.

Sean

[gramophone78]

Every L-door I've owned has had that "stay". My early XIV also has one. I think my table model X and XI also have them, but I can't recall 100%. That back bracket on yours looks a little different then any I've seen, I wonder if that was meant for Canadian machines only?

Nice L-door, did you buy it or not? Your post is a little confusing. I picked one up about a year ago in gun metal oak at a local auction.

Sean

Hey Sean, Yes I did buy the machines. I just don't know where they will go.... . The two Edison's are on my Wife's dining table and that is not going over well. . As for the L-door. It is sitting in the garage. I think I'm going to be in trouble...... . Oh, the life of a collector.... .

[Valecnik]

I just noticed the Winnipeg dealer tag, my neighborhood. Now you got me wanting that too, just for the dealer tag but I'm afraid it's no longer close to Winnipeg, is it...

[OrthoSean]

I realized after that you did...I was confused!

You've got 3 nice machines, I had been hunting for an oak L-door forever and never thought I'd find one, then up came the auction less than an hour away. I was prepared to pay much more than the hammer price because it is so clean and complete, even down to original payment receipts from John Wannamkers in NYC when it was bought for Christmas.

As everyone else has already said the Amberola V is a great machine, I love mine, and the Fireside is a nice little machine. You've found clean examples all in one shot, it took me more than a decade to find a clean original Fireside. I never realized how hard it is to find a clean V until I got mine a couple of years ago and people started telling me how hard they are to find clean...I didn't know

Anyway, congrats!
Sean