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Just brought home an Edison 'Home' model cylinder phonograph. It's missing a few pieces but nothing too hard to find, I hope.

Serial number is W9. Can this be dated using that number?

What would be a good 2 minute reproducer for this one?

Need a main spring, belt pully, crank, the governor is missing a weight, and the case has a couple issues. Should be fun!

You can see it here:

http://pdx78s.cdbpdx.com/TTEHW9/

CDB

How odd. Someone has filed off the serial number, but the original number can still be seen on the front edge (looks like H19368 -- all Homes had an 'H' prefix). Why someone would file the main boss and restamp it is a mystery. They also took off the patent plate and stripped/repainted the topworks. That should be glossy and have gilt striping.

The carriage is from a 'suitcase'-era Home, designed for an Automatic, though it could be used with an early C with adjusting arm screwed on the right side.

This has apparently gone through some interesting twists and turns in the past 110 years.

The fellow who sold me this machine said this was not what was in the case originally. The machine that came in this case had something weird on the mandrel and he wanted to keep it 'til he figured out what it was. Not surprising that it is not right for this case.

CDB

Very cool - 2 mysteries! The "W9" thing is a head scratcher. I wonder if the weird mandrel thing was for winding radio tuning coils or something like that?

- Martin

The formal serial number (19368) dates its production to late 1899, so it's clearly a suitcase-style Home. The correct reproducer (or let's say the original reproducer) would have been an Automatic. Note that the bedplate has been drilled out with two extra holes in the corners; suitcase Home Phonographs had only two holes for screws (posts actually, screws came later, with the long case cabinets) -- one in the front right corner, the other in the rear left corner. This leads me think that the cabinet that now houses it wasn't the first incorrect cabinet to which it was married.

Removing of serial numbers was done by phonograph dealers who sold Edison's phonograph at a discounted price. This was part of Edison's lawsuit against some dealers for violating his dealership agreements. More information can be found on the subject in Volume 2 of the Edison Phonograph Monthly.

Rich Gordon

Finally got all the parts needed to get this running. Tried to stick a Model C reproducer in it but it wouldn't fit. Gonna have to find another one for this machine.

Watch it play on youTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf_fxVMAA4Q

What kind of reproducer should I be looking for?

Cliff

[quote="CDBPDX"]Finally got all the parts needed to get this running. Tried to stick a Model C reproducer in it but it wouldn't fit. Gonna have to find another one for this machine.

Was the Model C you tried one with a pot metal body? That may be the reason it did not fit. They swell up with age and no longer fit the carriage well.
Dave D

I thought that 'New Style' case upgrades were offered to owners of Standards and Homes as an option when the Model A's came out? Could this be one of those? The black lettering implies that it was not one of the first New Style cases.

Keith

The lower bed plate is correct for the case. The upper bed plate and carriage are from a suitcase Home. My opinion is that just the upper bed plate was swapped out once upon a time.