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Here are a couple of items that I have noticed between the early Edison Amberola 30 and the later model.

1. ID badge location, early screwed to rear of base plate, later screwed to Left hand inside of lid.
2. Lid support, Early has two screws w/hinge on top and different bottom latch, later has one screw with shoulder and only a bend in the shaft and simple bottom latch.
3. Horn bottom mount, Early has upside down "U" bracket and bolt brazed to bottom of horn, Later has felt washer, "L" bolt and hole in bottom of the horn.
4 Gear cover(governor) , Early has hole in back of casting with adjustment screw protruding, Later does not, cover needs to be removed to adjust.

It seems as if Edison tried to save some money on the later ones. I am not sure what years the changes were made.
Jeff Klender

Edison definitely cut corners at various times, especially with Amberola table models. Flimsy cabinets, belt driven mechanisms based on the GEM motor. The 30 - 50 - 75 machines were actually a bit of a step up, with well designed direct drive motors. , he knew the market was shrinking though- but to his credit he kept putting out cylinders for his faithful customers.

I would strongly agree about the motors. One of the Amberola 30's that I have was found in his deceased grandfather's chicken coop. dirty, missing grills. a couple of front wood sections etc. But wind the crank and hit the release and every thing moved and function the way it was designed to.
Jeff

MidMich wrote:Here are a couple of items that I have noticed between the early Edison Amberola 30 and the later model.

1. ID badge location, early screwed to rear of base plate, later screwed to Left hand inside of lid.
2. Lid support, Early has two screws w/hinge on top and different bottom latch, later has one screw with shoulder and only a bend in the shaft and simple bottom latch.
3. Horn bottom mount, Early has upside down "U" bracket and bolt brazed to bottom of horn, Later has felt washer, "L" bolt and hole in bottom of the horn.
4 Gear cover(governor) , Early has hole in back of casting with adjustment screw protruding, Later does not, cover needs to be removed to adjust.

It seems as if Edison tried to save some money on the later ones. I am not sure what years the changes were made.
Jeff Klender

As for #1: in some early models, the patent plate is also found inside the case, on the right side of the horn.

Also, in the very earliest models, the gear cover and bedplate have pin striping, and there is only one set screw on the carriage.

If you check out the APS website, there should be an article detailing the various changes in the 30.

Bill

Another difference can be seen in the Diamond C reproducer. Early versions were nickel plated and later ones were painted black. According to Frow this change took place in October 1916 and was clearly a cost cutting measure. At this time Edison was was concerned about the rising cost of diamonds due to the exigencies of WW1, so it would have made sense to offset the rise by making savings elsewhere.

My Amberola 30, since sold, had the nickel plated reproducer but no ID plate and no tell tale screw holes to suggest that one had ever been fitted.

My mahogany Amberola 50 bearing Serial No.5594 has the nickel plated reproducer and the external speed control. I have been told that it dates between September 1915 and January 1916, but I would welcome confirmation of this.

Here's some interesting info on Amberola 30's. It's not Gospel, It's just a short guide I wrote a few years ago...so nothing is in "stone" as new info slowly turns up here and there over the years and there are always "transitional" machines.

Amberola 30 Series Differences and Changes (1915-1925):

The 1st Series Very Early Amberola 30's (1915 Only) had the Nickeled Reproducers, and also the Black and Silver (Anodized Aluminum) Dataplates next to the Early (Slotted secured with a clip at top) type horn assembly and also had a Ratchet type sounding handle mechanism and made a very loud Ratcheting sound as you turned the crank handle, and had 5 ply veneer cabinets. and the speed control knob was exposed thru the top rear of the gearplate/governor cover. The lid bracket was a two screw type onto the lid. Lastly, Very Early 1st Series Amberola 30's had Gold Pinstriping on the gear cover and bedplate, but not all. All 1st Series Amberola 30's are mostly identified by having the exposed speed control through the gear cover on the left side. Very Early 1st Series Amberola 30's Had a slotted horn assembly in front that was secured with a metal clip on top of the slot. Only Very, Very Early 1st Series Amberola 30's had these slotted clipped horn assemblies. Very early on, a running change was made to just a flat upside down "U" slotted assembly to simplify the parts and horn slotted mechanism. Early 1st Series Amberola 30's only have 1 screw retaining the Reproducer. Later 1st Series and 2nd and 3rd Series Amberola 30's have two screws retaining the Reproducer in the carriage.
The Late 1st Series Amberola 30's (Late 1915-Early 1916) are identified by not having or DO NOT have the loud Ratcheted handle assembly, but they are still 1st Series Amberola 30's with their exposed speed control gear covers, but they are just Late 1st Series. The Nickeled reproducers were a running change to Black reproducers well early into the 2nd series, so Late 1st Series Amberola 30's may be found with both type reproducers.
The very first shipments of Amberola 30's were shipped to Babson Bros. Distributor Dealers of Chicago. The Very Early 1st Series Amberola 30's with the Ratchet sounding handle and Gold Pinstriping on both the gear cover and bedplate command a premium and are the most prized and sought after Amberola 30's among collectors!

The 2nd Series type of Amberola 30's (1916-1917) also had the Early Black and Silver (Anodized Aluminum over Brass) Dataplates which were used from (1915-1917) but were moved and now mounted on the rear of the bedplate right behind the mandrel and cabinets mostly had the 3 ply veneer cabinets as the 5-ply cabinets were being phased out. The horn was then changed to a pin-type horn assembly. The speed control was changed and was now hidden under the side/top gearplate/governor cover for the rest of the Amberola 30 run through the Amberola 30 Production end in 1925. The lid bracket was still a two screw type onto the lid, and was retained. Some very Late made 2nd Series type Amberola 30's have been found to have the lid bracket with the (1) one screw type as new parts were being phased in, but retain all of the other aspects of the 2nd Series type Amberola 30. The older Black and Silver (Anodized Aluminum over Brass) Dataplates and older lids also help identify these as still being 2nd series type Amberola 30s.

The 3rd Series type and final type Amberola 30 (1918-1925) had a New style more rounded upper top lid and was missing a "step" formerly found on earlier Amberola lids, and the lid bracket was changed to a (1) one screw type. The stamped DATAPLATES were Changed to ALL BRASS with first white, then later Black lithograph lettering. The Dataplate was also moved this time and screwed to the upper front left side of the upper lid, It was no longer located anywhere on the base of the phonograph. The horn still retained the pin-type horn assembly. The cabinets were still 3-ply veneer, but were really being cheapened at this point, less glue on the veneer being used, lower quality veneer, etc.

Production the Amberola 30 ceased in 1925, but remained in stock at Edison and were sold and offered until Edison closed its doors in 1929. 1st Series and 2nd Series Amberola 30's were offered in Golden Oak and in the more common Fumed Oak Finish. It seems that the 3rd final Series Amberola 30's only came in Fumed Oak.

This is pretty much how it went, but as always, There will be phasing in/phasing out variations of parts...but not too many deviations from above. You can usually tell a "Kitbashed" or "Messed With" Amberola 30 when it has mismatched parts that are not consistant with the rest of the machine. (I.E. A Very late lid with an Early Wood Base, or Early Bedplates with Later style wood cases, or dataplates that don't jive with the year or Series of the machine and so forth for example).


***Also, This statement below is also incorrect. As it has been quoted from Frow's books. Frow has mis-spoke about the statement below as we know what is correct from actual machines from actual Edison production and collections. One wonders how this one slipped by him, and how he might have gotten it so wrong. It's possible that Frow may have been thinking about earlier 2 minute cylinder machines where this might ring true. Frow said:

"Also, earlier models have brass name plates; later models have anodized aluminum name plates. " -From Frow's Books.

As we know evidenced from actual Edison Machines. Early Edison Dataplates (1917 and prior) were actually Anodized aluminum with Black painted/inked backgrounds, and the later dataplates were just plain Brass stamped plates with first white painted/inked lettering then later gave way to just Black painted/inked lettering on the same stamped brass dataplates until Edison closed in 1929. We know this to be true from actual Edison machine examples, and especially Serial numbers examples which prove this.

If anyone has any comments, Please drop me a PM, and I will make changes as this is "living" document subject to change at any time!

Tony K. (NEFaurora)
Edison Collector/Restorer

End.


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There is one other difference also. The felt friction pad holder for the speed control governor. On the later models it is a single arm with a single pad. On the earlier models with the Data plate on the Bed Plate, it is a double arm with two felt pads. It looks like a U.
Jeff

https://www.intertique.com/Amberola-Instructions.pdf

this details a bunch of stuff about an (earlier?) amberola 30 in the instruction packet.