Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories
Victrolacollector
Victor V
Posts: 2711
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:23 pm
Location: NW Indiana VV-IV;

Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by Victrolacollector »

What is your favorite Edison Cylinder Machine?
This would be the machine you like playing or just would be the last Edison cylinder machine to go if you had to sell your collection.
Last edited by Victrolacollector on Tue Sep 09, 2014 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Victrolacollector
Victor V
Posts: 2711
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:23 pm
Location: NW Indiana VV-IV;

Re: Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by Victrolacollector »

It is hard for me to really give a answer of which is my favorite Edison cylinder machine. I would have to say my Edison Home "B" with 2/4 minute conversion. I also like my Edison Amberola 30 but my Home "B" allows me to play both 2 and 4 minute cylinders, and even record on wax records.

I wish my Home "B" had the speed knob on top.

User avatar
Zwebie
Victor IV
Posts: 1467
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:55 pm
Personal Text: We are only the caretakers for future generations.
Location: FLORIDA

Re: Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by Zwebie »

My #1 favorite would have to be the Clarence Ferguson Amberola 1-A I purchased from the Donley’s Museum a few years back. Plays both 2 & 4 minute Indestructible or wax with a great mellow tone thru the fiber horn. Also has great storage.

Bob S.
Attachments
1A.JPG

User avatar
Lucius1958
Victor Monarch
Posts: 4103
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 12:17 am
Personal Text: 'Don't take Life so serious, son. It ain't nohow permanent.' - 'POGO'
Location: Where there's "hamburger ALL OVER the highway"...

Re: Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by Lucius1958 »

A 1-A would be ideal….

But, lacking that, I would say my Home A with the 2/4 minute attachment…

Bill

Hailey
Victor III
Posts: 566
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 2:44 pm
Location: Missouri

Re: Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by Hailey »

I wish I could give a straight response here, but...I just can't! Although, I do have a soft spot for the dolls. Pictured is one of our complete, unrestored Edison Talking Dolls. Arguably, we consider the complete dolls an example of some of the rarest remaining Edison artifacts that survive to this day. And to imagine that such an item has survived for nearly 125 years never ceases to amaze me.
It is difficult to over-look the early lyre-grill Amberola 1-A and Opera that have matching serial numbers of "66".
Attachments
IMAG0524 (2).jpg

User avatar
FloridaClay
Victor VI
Posts: 3708
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:14 pm
Location: Merritt Island, FL

Re: Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by FloridaClay »

In the future it might be an Amberola 1A, which is on my "one of these days" list. But right now it would have to be my Triumph Model D, with Model O reproducer. It is a great machine and sounds really good. But it was also a real adventure working to bring it back to life. It was not in terribly good condition to begin with and the case was almost destroyed when it was shipped to me; all recounted in another thread here on the Forum. I really became attached to it during that process of seeing it come to life again.

Clay
Attachments
100_0799.jpg
Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume's Laws of Collecting
1. Space will expand to accommodate an infinite number of possessions, regardless of their size.
2. Shortage of finance, however dire, will never prevent the acquisition of a desired object, however improbable its cost.

User avatar
NEFaurora
Victor IV
Posts: 1214
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 7:02 pm
Personal Text: "A Phonograph in every home..."
Location: Melbourne, FL (Former New Yorker!)

Re: Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by NEFaurora »

Wow... That's a really tough question!

Playability vs. Collectability..


I agree, The Amberola 1A is hard to beat... and I don't have one!...lol...

I have a few Home models, but my Standards definitely get the most play..for 2-minute machines..

For 4-minute, It's definitely my Amberola 30's!! My Amberola 75 and my Amberola 50's feel abandoned because I give my Amberola 30's so much attention! You could not pry my Amberola 30's from me.. I just love them! There is just something about the Amberola 30 machines. ...and they made thousands of them too! They were obviously a high seller in their day due to their quality/price ratio, portability, and loudness. I love them....and can't get enough of them!

My all time dream machine would definitely have to be an Idelia. Though, I would not mind some really nice Triumphs and Class M's and Spring Motor machines either!

:o)

Tony K.

User avatar
VintageTechnologies
Victor IV
Posts: 1651
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:09 pm

Re: Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by VintageTechnologies »

My favorite Edison to play records is my oak Opera - with its smooth silent motor, rebuilt reproducer and open wood horn, nothing beats the sound. For playing wax cylinders, my second favorite Edison is a Home Model "F" modified to play 2 & 4 minute records, with a Model "O" reproducer and oak cygnet horn. I actually like Homes better than Triumphs, they sound just as good and are easier to move around.

User avatar
Le0
Victor II
Posts: 284
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 12:28 pm
Personal Text: avid 22 years old collector
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by Le0 »

damn... I really like my Triumph A with the banner decal but my Triumph B is in amasing condition with the smoothest motor on earth...

for display I prefer the Triumph A
Attachments
IMG_1967.JPG
Machines I own: Edison Standard A, suitcase Home, Home A, Triumph A & B, Columbia type BS, Standard Model A, Victor E, IV & V, Pathéphone No.4

User avatar
phonogfp
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 8162
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:08 pm
Personal Text: "If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will." - A. Lincoln
Location: New York's Finger Lakes

Re: Your Favorite Edison Cylinder Machine

Post by phonogfp »

Le0 wrote:damn... I really like my Triumph A with the banner decal but my Triumph B is in amasing condition with the smoothest motor on earth...

for display I prefer the Triumph A
I'm glad you're happy with the Triumph B! It hurt to sell it... :)

George P.

Post Reply