Edison Standard what is needed to play 2 minute cylinders

[victorIIvictor]

"It sounds like Edison was a one-man factory! "

--George P.

Yes, "Edison, the Man" fighting a lonely battle against his bitter rivals, Messrs. Victor and Columbia.

--Mark H.

[Dave D]

Have you considered looking for a two-minute only machine with a model C reproduer? It might end up being cheaper in the long run given how they have dropped in value.
Just a thought...
Dave

[retro92]

I was curious about "retro 92"'s strange reproducer weight, and asked Steven Medved whether this over-stamping done by Edison as an economy measure to use up parts, or if it were done by a third party after the original sale. He has given me permission to share his responses to my reproducer questions with the forum, so here is his response, with my edits in brackets for clarity.

"The Edison weights were machine stamped, the R came out in March 1911, I forget when the S came out. Edison made just under 31,000 of the R and S reproducers, I think the S joined in around [serial number] 13,000. The R and S [reproducers] always had pot metal tops; the first ones had nickel plated brass shoe adapters that allowed them to fit in the small carriage.

The K weights always had a thin nickel plating [whereas] the S [weights] had the regular plating. Edison made the C, H, and K [reproducers] after the [December 9, 1914 factory] fire and into the 1920's and was still selling them as late as the end of 1926.

"The upside down K [stamping was] not [done by] Edison; it is way too sloppy and does not match. [However,] [w]hen Edison stopped making the R and S, he did have some large [reproducer] tops he [had] stamped left over. The O and N share serial numbers; the N joined in around 22,000. The R and S shared serial numbers. [Serial numbers in the] 70,000 [range] on the N top was made at the same time as [serial numbers in the] 31,000 [range] on the R and S . You will find the N-56 with R and S serial numbers in the 31,000 range. Since Edison had tops left over I am certain he used up all the rest of the parts. Even if not, the [over-stamped] S weight is way too sloppy to have been done by him.

"Edison did overstamp ID plates on the later Standards. You will find [Standard Model] D ID plates made into F and G ID plates. He put an X over the D [when repurposing the ID plates]. By then he just wanted to use up the spare parts. [Similarly,] [t]he Amberola 60 and 80's were made to get rid of spare DD cabinets and Amberola parts."

Thanks very much for posting that info, didn't realise it was such an oddball part. I wonder who would have modified it if it wasn't done in the factory? A dealer perhaps?

[victorIIvictor]

You are welcome. Steve is very generous with information, and I have learned an awful lot from him.

As to who did the over-stamping, it probably was a dealer, but my newbie guess is that it was not a dealer selling Edison products contemporaneously with Edison being in the phonograph business. I have read stories on this board about "Frick's freaks" (Edison reproducers made by a mid-1960s dealer from a mix of original Edison parts and plumbing supplies) and have seen a picture of Clarence Ferguson's bizarre re-working of an Edison Model L reproducer. (Ferguson was an old time Edison dealer who kept in business after Edison left the phonograph business by selling NOS parts from his own stock--at least I think that's how the story goes.) My guess is that a dealer such as this did the over-stamping, for some long-forgotten reason.

If any one with more knowledge cares to correct me, I'd love to learn!

[Phonolair]

I think as the pot metal tops of the S reproducer became unusable, collector and dealers reused the S weight to make their own K models. Here's one that came in on a machine, it's not remarked but it does have a K diaphragm in it.

[victorIIvictor]

Phonolair, is this a photo of a Model S weight joined with a (presumably non-pot metal) Model K top? Thanks for posting.--Mark

[Phonolair]

This S weight is attached to the standard top housing of a C, H or K reproducer. But the top housing does have a K diaphragm in it.
Best Regards, Larry