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I don't know about the soundbox, but the tonearm looks like a Paillard

Actually, after checking Frow's, it's from the Jan 1929 model "needle type portable", made prior to the Aug 1929 P-1 & P-2.

Hi Shane:

Many thanks for responding.

I was curious, because I've seen the youtube videos of the P-1 and P-2, but the front plates on the sound boxes are considerably different from the Deco style of the one for sale on eBay.

P-1:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gem8F3Ff7Pk[/youtube]

P-2:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpc8vNFqjx4[/youtube]

But, after a little more web research, I found the answer. (As you noted) this came from the Edison "Prime" portable, as described on this page:

http://www.misterphonograph.com/EdisonDD.htm

Ortho_Fan wrote:But, after a little more web research, I think I found the answer. This seems to come from the Edison "Prime" portable...

Interesting find. I didn’t realize that Edison had made a portable like this...too bad it’s only the tone arm and sound box.

— MordEth

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eBay Item #180347162723

Edison Sound Box & Play Arm Gramophone or Phonograph?

Current bid: US $75.00 (0 bids)
Buy It Now price: US $85.00
Shipping: US $30.00
End time: Apr-26-09 18:46:00 PDT (3 days 13 hours)
Item location: Perth, WA, Australia
Seller: coolabahbazaar (515)
Feedback: 99.1% positive

Edison Sound Box and Play Arm sold "as is" untested as have no real knowledge of what type of Gramophone or Phonograph this belongs to or whether the play arm is original or not. This item was accidentally purchased after a mix up at a local auction room.

Please note: There is wear to the chrome on both these parts and there is a crack ( see the lowest photo) near the elbow of the play arm. Please see photos for details.

Postage: Buyers to inform seller of their preferred method of postage, i.e. regular, registered, express. For buyers from outside Australia, either airmail or seamail. Item or items will be posted when payment has cleared with the Commonwealth bank in Perth, Western Australia.

All Items may be picked up from Kwinana, not far from the freeway.

Payment: Prefer Australian buyers to pay by bank deposit. Overseas buyers to pay by PayPal only.

Feed back: If you are not satisfied with the item when you receive it. Please contact me either by using eBay's contact seller form or by emailing direct to [email protected] and will be more than happy to discuss any problems

Returns policy: Returns are only accepted for 2 reasons: Item is not as described and there is a significant difference between the description and the actual item. Or the item has been damaged in the post and the buyer can prove this and is unable to claim postal insurance. In either of these cases the buyer can return the item by post at the buyers expense and will be refunded the full purchase amount of the item not including any postage costs. Provided an agreement is reached with the seller first.

Thanks for looking at my items for sale and happy bidding.

That's the one. Manufactured by Prime Manufacturing Co of Milwaukee, and the motors are stamped "Prime Master" according to Frow.
Edison wasn't very inventive calling this model the "Needle Type Portable" though

Aside from the Edison name and the fancy faceplate on the soundbox this is just a Prime Mfg. portable and would sound exactly the same as the ones they made for Sears or other clients. A really sad ending for the Edison phonograph.

estott wrote:Aside from the Edison name and the fancy faceplate on the soundbox this is just a Prime Mfg. portable and would sound exactly the same as the ones they made for Sears or other clients. A really sad ending for the Edison phonograph.

Interesting, though, that the P-1 and P-2 came after the outsourced/cheaper-made Prime model. According to the comments made in the videos (above), these were designed by the Edison staff (?).

I'm wondering if the Prime version was marketed simply to get the product before the public while they were finalizing production of the P-1/P-2? (I don't know if those were manufactured in-house, though.)

According to tinfoil.com Prime made all of the portables. The P-1 shown here:
http://www.edisontinfoil.com/edisonp1.htm
looks just the same as a Sears Silvertone I once owned- a quality machine with a large metal horn, but still nothing remarkable. The company must have been grasping at straws.

An interesting side note...

When I bought my destroyed (now refinished) Edisonic Schubert, for some reason the only reproducer it had was that from the P-1. So, I just thought I'd share the pictures of the "other Edison needle soundbox". (It sold for a lot more than the BIN price of the "prime" tonearm/soundbox)

From Jan 1928, all Edisonics were supplied with your needle cut soundbox & adaptor according to Frow.
I was going to ask about these, so thanks for bringing them up
I think they'd be a pretty rare item to find with an Edisonic these days.