Edison Standard Questions

[Phonolair]

Nathan your last picture you posted shows the shaver is missing and also the horn crane looks kind of home made. A picture of the back of the case and the horn would be some good information.
Best Regards, Larry

[NateO]

Nathan your last picture you posted shows the shaver is missing and also the horn crane looks kind of home made. A picture of the back of the case and the horn would be some good information.
Best Regards, Larry

I didn't realize this model would have a shaver. Where would it belong and what exactly is it for? Sorry for the basic questions, but I've never seen one of these before.
I also don't have a picture of the back, though I think you may be correct. The horn looks factory made, but I'm not sure on the crane. Would this be a reason to avoid the machine?

[Phonolair]

The horn looks factory made, but I'm not sure on the crane. Would this be a reason to avoid the machine?

It would depend on what was done to the back of the case to mount this horn crane. As far as the shaver the adjustment rod part is there, it's on the carriage arm, but the front canister part is missing.
Best Regards, Larry

[Lucius1958]

I can't see the signature in any photos. Are these often worn away?

The signature 'decal' (at that time, it was more of a silkscreen) should be on the the front vertical surface of the casting, about where the brake lever is. These may sometimes wear off after many years, if the original owner (or a subsequent restorer) polished the bedplate too aggressively - or perhaps partially repainted it.

I agree that the horn crane looks rather like a home-made job; but good reproduction cranes can be obtained for reasonable prices.

The lack of a shaver, while detracting from the historical completeness of the machine, is of no great practical import. Standards were rather underpowered for shaving anyway; and unless you are interested in home recording you will not actually need a shaver anyway.

Bill

[martinola]

With the stripes and signature gone you may want to haggle a little bit. As the others have said, the lack of the Standard shaver is a minor point. They are positively useless for actual shaving (but very good for accidentally ruining good cylinders).

My Standard A (New Case) machine is my favorite 2 minute machine. The motors are noisier because of the lack of a good suspension. The model B motors had a different spring suspension system and are somewhat quieter. The Model A motor can, however be improved quite a bit by replacing the often missing or hardened rubber motor mounts. After you've had it a while, you'll probably want to spend some time in a thorough clean, lube and adjust. I've had mine for 15 years and really enjoy it.

All in all it doesn't seem like a bad deal, so it may be down to how much it bugs you to not have the stripes. Let us know how it goes.

Best Regards,
Martin

[fran604g]

Nate,

Another thing to consider is the horn value. What is it, out of curiosity? Do you have any pictures of it?

A complete machine with a cool horn for $500 is reasonable, IMHO.

Fran

[NateO]

Nate,

Another thing to consider is the horn value. What is it, out of curiosity? Do you have any pictures of it?

A complete machine with a cool horn for $500 is reasonable, IMHO.

Fran

I didn't take any photos of it, though I certainly should have.
I'm guessing it is about 30 inches long, and all brass. It looked to be mostly dent free, though I will have to give it a closer look. The only reason I stopped in the store was the horn in the window!
I definitely think I will be buying this machine, though I will see if I can get the price a little lower.

Thank you to everyone for the input!
Nathan

[NateO]

Thanks to everyone for the help. I am the proud owner of my first cylinder phonograph!
I ended up paying $450 for it, and I am okay with that. After agreeing on price, the seller found the 2 cylinder cases (with Blue Amberols inside), the original belt, and a second model C reproducer. He threw these in for free, which is great because the stylus didn't look so good on the original one. The second model C looks much better.
The horn crane is home made, out of an old deadbolt lock, or something similar. It is screwed onto the back of the cabinet. The whole assembly is useless anyway, as the weight of the horn causes the machine to tip forward. I'll have to buy a real crane when I can afford it.
I've attached two photos of the machine, including one with the horn. Does anyone know who made it? I don't see any markings on it. (sorry about that ugly red paint. I chose it when I was 7...)
I still need to replace the belt and find some 2 minute cylinders. I have a machine with nothing to play.

Happy Easter and thanks again!

Nathan

[FloridaClay]

Congrats! You did well.

You can get a complete replica horn crane from Wyatt's for $85. The only sell by telephone and, being a small mom and pop operation, they limit their phone hours to 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday thru Wednesday. They can also provide you with leather to make a new belt and are very helpful.

Another source is APSCO at http://www.antiquephono.com/edisect.htm for $98.95. Looks like their kit includes the 4 small rubber feet that go under the machine in case they are gone from your Standard. (They often are, as the rubber rots over the years.) These feet ("tack bumpers"), aside from providing some protection for whatever you set your machine on, give some clearance for mounting the foot for the horn crane.

You might also try posting a "wanted" item for the crane on the Yankee Trader page here in case a member might have an extra one to sell.

Clay

[fran604g]

Wonderful!

You could always hang the horn from a hook in your ceiling. People used to do that, and with the horn being as heavy as it is, it might be the only way considering the weight of the Standard, anyway. I have a TTCo. repro crane (front mount) on my Green Oak Home A and the 30" Brass horn I have is heavy enough to make the whole thing slightly unstable enough to concern me a little. I can't imagine the same setup on my Standard A 4 latch giving me confidence enough to do this.

That being said, with the appropriate rear mount support, it would probably be fine, I'll leave that up to other members to say, I have no experience with them.

Looks good!

Fran