The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

What is the proper color grill cloth for an Edison LU-37? I have seen them is red, which looks very good, but is it correct?

I had a London Upright and it had red cloth also and it did look good. I thought it must have been replaced, so I changed it over to a golden brown cloth. I think the red looked better. Frow does not discuss grille cloth colors much in his book on Diamond Disc Phonographs other than to say that in 1915 all machines got grille cloths, either green or brown silk. I believe the green cloths were for oak machines. The London machines came out in 1922, and we don't really know what the original grille cloth colors were. Maybe someone here has one with original grille cloth who can inform us? But if you really like the red, I would just go with it.

Here's an LU-37 with its original grille cloth. The color is pretty well spot-on in these images, although in real life there may be just a bit more orange. The back side is more orange than tan, while the front is the opposite because of fading over the years.

Hope this helps.

George P.

Thank you for the info. I am a bit color blind, so I will have my wife look at the pics and help me select the right cloth

You're very welcome.

George P.