The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello and thank you for including me in the forum!

I've recently acquired an Edison LU-37. The unit appears (to my untrained eye) to be in good condition. It plays the Edison discs it came with without any problem. I've never owned an acoustic phonograph of any sort, so have some basic questions.

- When the unit's not in use, do you keep the spring wound or unwound? (The previous owners said they were pretty sure they kept it wound, but didn't know if that was the right thing to do.)
- The fabric (silk?) in the wooden frame in front of the horn is quite tattered. What would you recommend replacing it with?
- I've seen that the unit could/should be oiled form time to time, and I've seen videos of how to do so. How often should this be done?
- Where can I find a catalog of Edison recordings? (The unit came with about a dozen discs.)

Thank you!

Paul

Hello and welcome.

You'll find that your questions are among the most asked beginner questions. There is a good search function on this board that will lead you to many answers and opinions. You will also find the Antique Phonograph Society's website antiquephono.org to have a wealth of knowledge.

Some quick answers:

Keep the machine nearly unwound but leave some tension in the spring.

Original Edison grill cloths are nearly nonexistent now. Replacement cloth is a matter of taste.

Oiling frequency is a matter of opinion as well. You will rarely need to oil your machine unless you use it extensively. Every 6-12 months should be quite sufficient. More important is that you use the right oil. Lightweight sewing machine oil is the usual recommendation. Neither 3-in-1 or WD40 are recommended as lubricants.

You can download a detailed file of Diamond Disc recordings in Excel format from truesoundtransfers.de.

Good luck!

Thank you kindly for the quick response! I will follow the links and resources you suggest. Greatly appreciated!