The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I recently picked up an early Amberola 30 with the speed control through the gear cover. The serial number is around 47,000. It's a really nice machine and is only missing the outside grill. Should the outside grill be wood grained on or black like the inside grill? Thanks, Jerry

I have seen originals that were wood grained, although I don't recall which variants of the 30 they were.

I believe they were all wood grained. All the old ads for the Amberola 30 show a wood grained grill.

+1 on what Steve said - wood grained.

George P.

And Ron Sitko carries a nice reproduction if you need one.

Sean

Thanks, I'll order one from Ron after the new year. I believe he takes from Thanksgiving through December as vacation. I'll order a wood grained grill. I was thinking that early Amberola 30s had a wood grained grill and later ones a black grill. If that's true, I was wondering where they changed. Thanks, Jerry Blais

I have just sold my Amberola 30 after upgrading to a 50. I was sorry to see it go, but I cannot keep every machine which comes my way.

My 30 had lost it's serial number plate but had the concealed speed control, the single screw release for the reproducer and a black painted grille with what could well have been the original cloth. The cloth was certainly very old.

Now a question of my own. Why was the external speed control discontinued? It seems to have been a retrograde alteration to make.

Once the speed was regulated properly, you shouldn't have to make adjustments. Perhaps it was moved under the gear cover to prevent the speed being accidentally adjusted when dusting or to avoid being changed by children. But it was probably cheaper to manufacture by having a more basic method of speed regulation. I believe most of the changes made in the late Amberolas were done as a cost cutting reason. Jerry Blais

Thankyou Jerry. I suspected that the cost accountants had a hand in this.

My newly purchased "50" has the external speed control and sounds spot on, so I will leave well alone.