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I'm lucky to have a C-150 with beautiful pin striping. However, lately I've seen a c-150 with no pin striping at all. Did Edison stop adding it as a cost-cutting measure (the c-150 is not a high-end machine) or is this latest machine simply in bad condition?

I believe it's simply early production vs. later production.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:I believe it's simply early production vs. later production.

George P.

So which do you think came first?

Torjazzer wrote:

phonogfp wrote:I believe it's simply early production vs. later production.

George P.

So which do you think came first?

The striping and decals came first, ending somewhere around 1915 (give or take).

52089 wrote:

Torjazzer wrote:

phonogfp wrote:I believe it's simply early production vs. later production.

George P.

So which do you think came first?

The striping and decals came first, ending somewhere around 1915 (give or take).

Many thanks.

I've narrowed the disappearance of motor plate pinstriping to around early 1917 with the C 250. I have no reason to think this wasn't the case with the other models of the period.

However, there likely would have been a lag with the lesser selling machines, as they would've taken longer to deplete stocks.

Best,
Fran

Another example of serial numbers as misleading in determining age.
My machine with the pin striping is numbered 72782
The other machine without the pin striping is lower: 61120

Torjazzer wrote:Another example of serial numbers as misleading in determining age.
My machine with the pin striping is numbered 72782
The other machine without the pin striping is lower: 61120

I agree. I have A 100 #100,111 with pinstriping, and it seems to me unlikely that more than 100,000 of these were produced before 1917.

Best,
Fran

Another example of serial numbers as misleading in determining age.
My machine with the pin striping is numbered 72782
The other machine without the pin striping is lower: 61120

Could the earlier serial no. C-150 have been repainted? That would explain the lack of pinstriping. These black japanned motor boards frequently have cracking and chipping paint. My A-150 did, which had nice pin-striping and decals, so I fixed it by spraying it with clear shellac. The shellac seemed to melt the chipping paint back down on the motor board.

marcapra wrote:

Another example of serial numbers as misleading in determining age.
My machine with the pin striping is numbered 72782
The other machine without the pin striping is lower: 61120

Could the earlier serial no. C-150 have been repainted? That would explain the lack of pinstriping. These black japanned motor boards frequently have cracking and chipping paint. My A-150 did, which had nice pin-striping and decals, so I fixed it by spraying it with clear shellac. The shellac seemed to melt the chipping paint back down on the motor board.

We should never forget the possibility of replacement, either. A lot can happen in 100+ years.

As for the motor plate having simply been re-painted causing the "fancy" pin striping to be eliminated, in my opinion, that's not the case in this instance.

I'll explain why I think that:

Notice the small speed control knob? The earlier version Type B motor plates with the fancy pin striping that I have examined always have the larger type of speed control knob, as shown in the first image. I refer to this type of knob as the "earlier, large-type speed control knob" for lack of a better terminology. It can be found used on both the A and B 250 (and other pre-1916 models.)

I have yet to note a single example of the Type B motor plate with pin striping, also present with the later "small" speed control knob present.

Another interesting feature I noted in the second image is the operating handle. This one has a metal ferrule between the wooden handle and the lift cam. I've noted this type of handle used on the earlier Type B motor plates with pin striping, and the large speed control knob. The later handle without the ferrule is completely interchangeable with the earlier one.

In my opinion, the machine shown in the second image shows clues that it likely has been fiddled with in the past, and the motor plate (or entire mechanism) is possibly not original to the cabinet.

Best,
Fran