The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Saw this on Craigslist near my house. I know this model is rare. What is the value of this machine?

As noted by the seller, this is a "B VIII", the second iteration of the VIII. Other than the changes to the top plate, the VIII and B-VIII are essentially the same machine. Though not often encountered, they also don't appear to be particularly sought after.

As for price, assuming working, decent condition, I'd say $300-$400 would be typical, but of course anything's possible.

If you want a 4-minute everyday player, I'd personally get an Amberola 30 or 50 instead. Both are directly driven (no belts) and the only thing that ever seems to break on them is the mainspring(s). The 30 will set you back around $300, the 50 slightly more.

Not sure how "rare" it is... The grill appears to be a reproduction. It could be worth the asking price, (and not much more), but we/I don't have enough photos to really say.

52089 wrote: Fri Sep 30, 2022 11:29 am As noted by the seller, this is a "B VIII", the second iteration of the VIII. Other than the changes to the top plate, the VIII and B-VIII are essentially the same machine. Though not often encountered, they also don't appear to be particularly sought after.

As for price, assuming working, decent condition, I'd say $300-$400 would be typical, but of course anything's possible.

If you want a 4-minute everyday player, I'd personally get an Amberola 30 or 50 instead. Both are directly driven (no belts) and the only thing that ever seems to break on them is the mainspring(s). The 30 will set you back around $300, the 50 slightly more.

With a different reproducer this can play wax amberols pretty well. An amberola 30 or 50 will be more cheaply made and less enjoyable to use.

I use an Amberola 30 as a daily player for all my celluloid 4-minutes. They are surprisingly simple, and ruggedly built. I've had excellent results with it and with an upgraded diaphragm it sounds amazing. I've used one of Larry H's old diaphragms as an upgrade, which was fantastic, but switched to Herman's Wondertone (I think) as a test when that diaphragm came out. Both have fine sound quality.

The 30 has the advantage of being gear-driven, which, in my opinion, is the way that Edison should have designed the Standard or Home. Belt-driven phonographs are frequently found with bent output shafts.

Cheapness in the Amberola 30 mostly applies to the lightly constructed oak cabinets. With new veneer they do look all right--and I prefer the simple design instead of the wedding-cake look of the Amberola VIII, which is eye-catching but not necessarily a design that aged well. I've not had any trouble with my 30 from its design, most of the trouble has been user error or water damage from when I got it.

Just a thought.

The Amberola BVIII is a nice machine with a full bedplate covering the entire top of the machine eliminating the need for the metal grill. The entire stock of these machines were destroyed in the 1914 fire. That is why you don’t see many of these. The Model-50 replaced this machine after the fire. I would put a retail value of a Amberola BVIII at up to $750 in excellent condition.

Rich Gordon