The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I'll be bringing this Amberola 1-B to the California Expo in August. It's a really interesting machine because it's housed in a 1-A style cabinet. The earlier 1-A started in a cabinet with a single swoop to the lid. Sometime during I-A production the lid changed to a two step lid. My I-A #1053 has a lyre shaped grill with the single swoop lid. I am fortunate to have another 1-A #2553 with the two step lid. I have 1-B #4306 and 4359 both with the later two step lid. I believe serial numbers continued the same progressive numbering from 1-A and continued with 1-B machines. If this is not true please correct me!

The serial number of the 1-B that I'm bringing is #3588. Please note that it has a 1-A style cabinet. My first impression was it must be a marriage of parts. But it's not! Anyone that ever considers the purchase of a big Amberola should check to see if it's numbers matching. The serial number on the mechanism should match the serial number on the ID tag. If you carefully look, you will also see the number stamped into each cabinet component as well. In my opinion it's a several hundred dollar deduction if the numbers to not match on a big Amberola. It's not unlike buying a classic car. A 1963 Corvette with a matching number engine is worth quite a bit more than one with a replacement engine. But my first impression was incorrect. The serial number on the mechanism is the exact match to the one on the ID tag.

This raises questions... At what serial number did the 1-B start? Is there overlap on 1-A and 1-B numbers? Is 1-B, serial #3588 an early B? You have to wonder why the Edison company would install their state of the art 1-B mechanism in an obsolete cabinet. Seems like a really poor business decision.

This is what makes collecting so interesting and this machine is a wonderful opportunity at $2400 and it's available at the California Expo. Please PM if interested or have questions.

Jerry B.

Jerry, sorry I missed your call earlier this evening. I'll do my best to answer your questions in this thread.

I wrote a series of three articles on the Amberola 1A and 1B which appeared in the March, June, and September 2009 issues of the APS magazine. There's far more detail there than I can relay here.

Jerry B. wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:36 pm I'll be bringing this Amberola 1-B to the California Expo in August. It's a really interesting machine because it's housed in a 1-A style cabinet. The earlier 1-A started in a cabinet with a single swoop to the lid.

This earlier cabinet is the Weber-style cabinet. The U.S. Design patent is shown in the articles referenced above.

Jerry B. wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:36 pm Sometime during I-A production the lid changed to a two step lid.

The second style 1A cabinet is the Pooley cabinet. The U.S. Design patent for this is also shown in the articles referenced above.

Jerry B. wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:36 pm My I-A #1053 has a lyre shaped grill with the single swoop lid. I am fortunate to have another 1-A #2553 with the two step lid. I have 1-B #4306 and 4359 both with the later two step lid. I believe serial numbers continued the same progressive numbering from 1-A and continued with 1-B machines. If this is not true please correct me!

That is correct - - the 1B numbering resumed from where the 1A numbering left off, and there is a transitional period when they were interspersed.

Jerry B. wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:36 pm The serial number of the 1-B that I'm bringing is #3588. Please note that it has a 1-A style cabinet. My first impression was it must be a marriage of parts. But it's not! Anyone that ever considers the purchase of a big Amberola should check to see if it's numbers matching. The serial number on the mechanism should match the serial number on the ID tag. If you carefully look, you will also see the number stamped into each cabinet component as well. In my opinion it's a several hundred dollar deduction if the numbers to not match on a big Amberola. It's not unlike buying a classic car. A 1963 Corvette with a matching number engine is worth quite a bit more than one with a replacement engine. But my first impression was incorrect. The serial number on the mechanism is the exact match to the one on the ID tag.

This raises questions... At what serial number did the 1-B start?

Around #3500.

Jerry B. wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:36 pm Is there overlap on 1-A and 1-B numbers?

Yes.

Jerry B. wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:36 pm Is 1-B, serial #3588 an early B?

Yes.

Jerry B. wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:36 pm You have to wonder why the Edison company would install their state of the art 1-B mechanism in an obsolete cabinet. Seems like a really poor business decision.

As explained in the articles referenced above, Edison employees had to repair a large number of the Weber-style cabinets due to poor packing and finish from two of the cabinet suppliers. This apparently took some time. I have in my collection an early lyre grill Weber-style cabinet whose serial number matches its 1A mechanism: #2376. This is the highest-numbered lyre grille Amberola I've documented in over 30 years of data collection. It just shows that it took awhile for that particular cabinet to be repaired by the Edison employees (and there are unmistakable signs of repair inside the record compartment when the drawers are removed).

Jerry B. wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:36 pm This is what makes collecting so interesting and this machine is a wonderful opportunity at $2400 and it's available at the California Expo. Please PM if interested or have questions.

Jerry B.

An interesting machine, Jerry!
George P.

George, Thank you so much. You are a wealth if information that you share so graciously.

Jerry

"George, Thank you so much. You are a wealth if information that you share so graciously."

I whole heartedly second that! Thank you!

You're both very welcome. Learning about the history of antique phonographs is fun!

George P.

Another unusual feature is the oxidized horn elbow. Normally the 1A came with an oxidized elbow but most 1Bs had either a brown or maroon painted elbow without any wood graining. Clearly they were using whatever was handy to put this one together.