The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I bought this machine sight unseen from a virtual sale. It is a lot rougher than it looked from the safety of my home, but here the beast is. Data plate is missing, no reproducer, crank, or gear cover, cabinet rough, bottom board half gone. Yeegads, what have I done. Yet another project for my old age.

Sorry I don't have the dimensions handy, but it is quite a bit larger than my Amberola 30.

Is this an Amberola 50? The grille looks slightly different than others I am seeing in pictures. I've never owned an Amberola 50, so don't have anything to compare it to.

Thanks.

Sure looks like it!

Is this machine, in fact, missing the ID plate, or am I not looking in the right place? It is on the rear of the bed plate on my Amberola 30. There is only an empty space in this spot on this machine.

Yes, it's an Amberola 50. I have seen Amberola ID tags next to the horn opening. So you might pop out the grill and look.

Jerry Blais

If you can restore it, the 50 is a worthwhile improvement over the 30. Slightly larger horn, better quality case and much better double spring motor. I have owned both.

The grill looks a bit different because it's not original. Sorry to add to your list of tasks...

Jerry B. wrote:Yes, it's an Amberola 50. I have seen Amberola ID tags next to the horn opening. So you might pop out the grill and look.

Jerry Blais

Yes: inside the cabinet on the right side. I believe some very late(?) models had the plate inside the lid: in either case, check for telltale holes where a plate may have been attached.

-Bill

Yeah, I think that its a Mahogany finish Amberola 50.

The Front grill and Top grill are both homemade but copied from originals...albeit nice attempts..

On the bedplate, I can already see that the Mandrel Shaft pin and Spring steel "keepers" are broken.. Both should be easy finds off of ebay though...along with a Diamond C Reproducer.

Just like the Amberola 30, The Amberola 50 came in 1st, 2nd and 3rd Models and each different model had the Dataplate in a different area. 1st Models had it behind the Front Grille on the Right side, 2nd Models had it actually installed on the Rear of the Motor Bedplate and the 3rd Models had it installed underneath the Front Left side underneath the lid.

The Amberola 50 was offered in 3 finishes... Golden Oak, Fumed Oak and Mahogany.

Yours looks like a 3rd Model, so it was most likely underneath the lid as shown of the Amberola 50 in the pic below.


Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

Here's the Dataplate on the 2nd Model...

And Finally....The Amberola 50, 1st Model....