The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here's a cute little Edison Standard Model A in the "New Style" cabinet. It followed me home yesterday along some cylinders, an after market M/G horn and a great booklet. I bought it from the grandson of the original owner and it's serial number s99344 with a C reproducer #577987 (this number is tough to read). A fair number of the cylinders are brown wax so there may have been an earlier reproducer with this outfit.

If anyone is interested, the cabinet was only cleaned with GoJo followed by Howard Feed-N-Wax. Most of my time was spent with the mechanism. I disassembled everything above the deck and cleaned all the gears, bearing surfaces,carriage rod,feed screw, and half nut with solvent. Some GoJo made the deck look better. Once I was happy with all the cleaned parts, I reassembled with drops of oil at appropriate places. Without the belt attached, it's always nice to give the mandrel a good spin. I do that with the carriage engaged as well as up and it gives a good indication how things will work when the belt is attached. Below the deck I oiled the ends of the governor, the governor pads, and the start/stop pad. The early Standard has some open spots on the side of the spring barrel so it was easy to get some lubricant into that area. Once I think I'm done with a machine, I'll give it a partial winding and let it run down. I do this several times and after several partial windings, I'll wind it all the way. I'll do this for several days. This particular machine has amazed me because it spun the mandrel without the carriage engaged for well over ten minutes on the first day.

Jerry Blais

That is a lovely machine! The decal is practically pristine...

Bill

Very nice little machine. I'm curious, is the wood very light, or is that just the picture? All similar Standards I have seen so far have much darker wood. I assume it is green oak, correct?

Andreas

Just a beautiful machine Jerry!!

I'd say the color of the machine is very close to the photo. The seller also had an Amberola 30 which was also his grandparent's machine. This Stanard must have been used from 1903 (or so) until Blue Amberols were introduced and they bought the Amberola. I'd guess it was tucked away in a non-smokers home. Jerry Blais

It's a beautiful cabinet, Jerry!

Just for accuracy's sake, these cabinets were cataloged as "New Style Cabinets."

That decal looks new! We don't often find them like that anymore...

George P.

Beautiful Standard Jerry.

Wow. That's a real keeper, Jerry. To have the direct connection to the original owner AND have it in such nice and untouched condition is rare. Obviously it has been kept inside and out of direct sunlight all these years. Thanks for sharing this!
Martin

Every time I walk by this machine I wind it up and let it run down. I adjusted the speed so a two minute cylinder sounds good. It seems to run forever so I thought I'd time it. I wound it as far as I was comfortable and the mandrel spun, with carriage disengaged, for just over fourteen minutes. I was amazed. Perhaps it thinks it's a Triumph not a humble Standard. Jerry Blais

The fact that it has a lift lever, rather than the more common knob, points to its being a fairly early Model A...

Bill