FOR SALE: 1896 Amet Echophone: $5000

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I never thought I'd part with this, but I just spent a boatload of cash, and rather than sell a number of lesser machines, I decided to offer two outstanding antique phonographs. I've owned this machine for over 5 years, and although it hurts a bit, a deal's a deal (and my wife will not let me forget it!).

Edward H. Amet is a name well-known to historians of early talking machine history. His early (1894-96) spring motors were sold through the Chicago Talking Machine Company, and they powered Edison Class M and Bell-Tainter Graphophone mechanisms. Nowadays, Amet-powered machines of that sort sell for well north of 5-digit figures - - if you can find one.

On November 20, 1895, Amet filed a U.S. Patent (granted as No.562,694) on a complete talking machine which appeared sometime in 1896. This historically important machine - eventually known as the Echophone - would be the first low-cost talking machine offered to the public. Designed to sell at only $5.00, one can imagine the reaction of Edison and Columbia, whose cheapest machines retailed at $40 at the time. Columbia quickly brought suit, and Amet was legally forbidden from manufacturing Echophones after December 1896. As partial damages, Columbia was awarded all unsold Echophones in Amet's inventory.

At that point (early 1897), advertisements began to appear from a variety of companies anxious to sell Echophones (bought from Columbia) or give them away as premiums. Here's a typical ad from the August 1897 issue of Demorest's Family Magazine:
(Click on any image to enlarge)

The Echophone can claim several historic "firsts." It was the first low-cost talking machine (even the Q Graphophone - introduced 3 years later - could not beat its price). It was the first talking machine to wind with a key. It was the first talking machine to employ a tone arm and adjustable stylus pressure - - all in 1896. It's no wonder that Columbia wanted this machine out of way before introducing its "Eagle" Graphophone in August 1897.

The Echophone's short life and limited production (it's uncertain just how many were manufactured), as well as its fragile nature, has resulted in very few survivors (estimated today at about 25-30). Here is your opportunity to own one of these historic machines.

This example is in nice condition and fully functioning. As you can see, it is equipped with ear tubes (Jean-Paul Agnard's excellent reproductions) and includes the lid (sometimes missing on survivors).

The Echophone winds with a key from the rear (is it the rear? Where is the front?) The glass tube tone arm has a stylus drawn at the tip from molten glass. This transfers the sound through the hollow tube to a thin wooden diaphragm mounted on a rubber "gasket" which sits atop the hollow wooden post. The sound emerges from the underside of the wooden diaphragm and exits the hollow wooden post through a hole drilled near the top. Believe it or not, this all produces surprisingly good sound!

The slightly indented gutta-percha mandrel was an attempt to evade Edison's patent on the tapered mandrel. This didn't work out any better for Amet than Thomas Lambert's later pink celluloid cylinder "evasion" of the same patent. Note the "Echophone" stamping in the wood base.

With the lid in place, the Echophone presents a neat, innocuous little package which hides a lot of early talking machine history.

APS members can see an Echophone playing in the "Videos" section of the web site: http://www.antiquephono.org/

Additionally, members can read articles on the Echophone on the website by using "Echophone" as a search, or by referring to The New Amberola Graphic, No.51, Winter 1985; and The Sound Box, December 2005.

This is not a machine you'd want for daily playing of cylinders. If you're interested in a machine of this caliber, you already know that. (Yet, I've demonstrated it to several visitors who have been impressed by its output.) This Echophone speaks history, and it represents the first serious attempt to place a talking machine in the hands of virtually everyone.

If you're interested in adding this Echophone to your collection, I'll be happy to provide additional photos and describe what little work I did on it. Just shoot me a PM. This is "no apologies" talking machine. I wouldn't have kept it this long if it was, and I certainly wouldn't be selling it if I didn't have another one. Thanks for looking!

Also: I can deliver this Echophone to the Wayne shows or Union, so shipping would not be necessary. If you're interested, let's talk.

George P.

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I had an inquiry about the weight of the Echophone. Despite the cast iron frame, the entire machine (including ear tubes) weighs only 5 lbs. 1.2 oz, so shipping would not be costly.

Remember though that this Echophone can be delivered to any of the Wayne shows or Union...or anyplace on the way to those shows from western New York State.

George P.