The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

So! I haven't had a good phonograph story to tell you all lately. Space is tight & I have other things to work on lately, like the last 2 semesters of college and other fun stuff--You know, same things we all tell ourselves. So with a firm resolve not to buy phonographs I went & got a new Standard Model C for the collection. This might be the first time I've ever seen one of the Model C machines that does not appear to have ever been fitted for the ICS features. It's very interesting, and when I saw the serial number and some of the other features of it I decided this would have to be one for the collection. So, talking the proprietor down from $279 to $225, I bought the phonograph and its Tea Tray Co. 30" morning-glory horn. It has no holes for the ICS tag, has a speed control mounted below the bedplate as on the Model B, and has never been drilled & fitted for the phrase repeater.

The serial number on this Standard was the first thing that drew my attention (other than a very well preserved patent plate.) It is Number 693815C.

The horn decal is in as good of shape as the rest of the horn--bright, crisp, and correct. The gold pinstriping is good and so is the deep black paint. I think this one is going to be a really presentable horn with a bit of a cleanup; even if it would've been a less interesting machine I would've bought it for the horn.

A patent plate that isn't all discolored and missing its silver? And one that an antique dealer hasn't gotten hold of & polished to brass? Nice.
I like this; I'm going to have to take it off & see if the number on the plate matches the number on the casting. This one doesn't have the serial number in the knife-edge for the carriage, so it should be underneath the patent plate cast into the metal. At least it was like that on a 1911 Standard E that I had apart. (Mormon S still has it now, I think, & promptly took it apart again to restore it a second time--I think he really did justice to the machine. It was sounding a lot better too.)

But anyway that serial number is pretty neat.

I found inside the lid the "Change of Reproducers" label from a Model D phonograph. Either someone put a Model D lid on it, or they were using up D lids at the Edison plant, or--maybe they just made all the lids alike & didn't bother changing it for the Model C? I would really love to know some of the lore on the Model C phonograph, because I've personally never seen one like this--it has so many transitional features from the B to the D style that it combines all the neat qualities of both machines. Sure it'd be nice if it had been Amberolized but I'm ok with having a really nice 2-minute player in the collection as well. 2-minute machines entertained a lot of people back in the old days even without a long playing attachment.



So far to make it correct it will need a new mandrel bearing, a crank, a gear cover (the one on there now is a homemade thing that started life as exactly what it is--just a bent piece of sheet-metal daubed up in black paint, & I'm going to check if it should be the early cast iron type, or the kind on a Model D.) Also I will have to source a crane, drive belt, cabinet decal, and a Model C reproducer with a good sapphire. Other than that, and re-plating the feedscrew cover which is a bit rusty, it is not going to take much to freshen up this machine; it doesn't have a lot of damage or wear on the motor and top works, and the motor actually starts & runs great.

Sorry about the phone camera pics; I don't spend a lot of money on electronics but it lets me have nice phonographs so yay phonographs.

Nice find... I look forward to seeing what you do with this machine

David

If you haven't already seen it, this article on the APS website may be helpful to you:

https://www.antiquephono.org/spotters-g ... honograph/

George P.

Thank you George; I've been familiar with the Spotter's Guide for quite some time now but am still looking for extra pictures and such of the non-ICS version. The Guide shows an ICS Standard C, and I had been under the impression that the majority of Model C phonographs sold were the ICS model. This one is a plain one, and to me that's just as cool if not a little bit cooler.

The horn looks great--I took it out in sunlight on the way to store it in the barn for a bit & the pinstriping appears to be red and gold together. I think they laid down a ground of red paint and then brushed a slightly thinner gold stripe over the top of that. It is a very pretty effect up close and I have never seen this before on either a repainted or original horn.

Pity it cannot play Blue Amberols but then again it can't play 78s either and will be a fine excuse to buy 2-minute cylinders.

I've already begun doing a slow evaluation of the machine to get ready to restore it. So far the piece of crudely bent sheet tin over the topworks is gone, to be replaced by a correct cast gear cover. The nut on the motor winding shaft is gone too, and so is the poorly tapped crank handle from a large cabinet phonograph. I'm probably going to just go ahead & put the crank in scrap metal recycling.

The case is messier than I thought. It has a very bad job of repairing done on the front; the part where the horn crane would have attached appears to have been glued back on after being torn off. (This might explain why it didn't include a horn crane support.) Also, thanks to incorrect screws on the side where the motorboard lift latch goes, there's now a sheet-metal screw protruding through the side of the case. Also the baseboard is cracked.

I think it would be simpler to set that case aside in the parts bin & find a complete late-style Standard D case to put the topworks into. It's unfortunate but I think I would like to have this thing presenting in the best possible way.


There's a rolled twist of paper in the bottom of it which was someone's business card. I think the machine was restored some years ago by someone with an AOL email address in the State of North Carolina. Considering the worksmanship is frankly embarrassing, I don't want to share their contact information with the world.

VanEpsFan1914 wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 12:38 am I think it would be simpler to set that case aside in the parts bin & find a complete late-style Standard D case to put the topworks into. It's unfortunate but I think I would like to have this thing presenting in the best possible way.

Since the original cabinet is the earlier Standard B/C style, I'd suggest replacing it with one of the same design (low base).

George P.

I may have the cabinet you need. I'll post photos later today.

Jerry B.

Photos of my spare cabinet sent by PM.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry, I saw your message. I had someone else curious about the lid off the old thing.

I think I'll have to catch up with you soon on this & see about where to go with restoring it. The Standard Talking Machine, Model A that I took in awhile ago will probably get fixed up and put on the market for sale to help cover costs of getting the Edison in good shape.

By the way, the Columbia BN that I bought from you awhile ago is looking absolutely lovely. It's now wearing an original on/off plunger, has a new horn painted in black and gold (without dents), is wearing green turntable felt and a nicely nickeled elbow, and in general is looking and sounding the best it's looked in years. I used a few parts from the Standard Talking Machine to spruce it up, and then used a few of the BN's parts (the slightly faded elbow and the replica stop plunger) to replace the ones I'd taken from the BN. At the end of the day both are going to be nice phonographs. Since the Standard A came in wearing a restored BN horn, I put it on the BN and swapped the red flowered one onto the Standard.

By the way, the Columbia BN that I bought from you awhile ago is looking absolutely lovely.

I'm delighted to hear that. Sounds like a very nice machine. Let me know if I can help with your Standard C. It's a worthy machine to bring back either with refinishing your cabinet or finding a replacement.

Thanks, Jerry