The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Just found the ID plate for this Amberola 50. I put it on a high shelf and opened the lid and there it was! According to sources on the web, this machine was introduced in 1915, but the ID plate has a 1918 patent date, with ID No. 3M - - 31240. These must have been in production for some time. Any idea how many of these were manufactured? Seems they were still being made while disc records were taking over the market. Edison was a persistant fellow!

The 50 (along with the 30 and the 75) was indeed introduced in 1915, but was offered until at least until the latter 1920s - if not right up until 1929. Discs had pretty much taken over the market by 1915; only Edison and Indestructible manufactured cylinder records in the U.S.A. by then. Still, there was a significant market for cylinder records primarily among rural folk, and the Edison enterprise supplied this dwindling demand right up to the end.

George P.

So what first looked like an ID number 3M - - 31240 was actually SM - - 31240

The "SM" stands for "spring motor." You'll see that on many Edison data plates.

George P.