Featured Phonograph: Amberola 50

[NateO]

MODEL:  Amberola 50
SERIAL #:   16
YEARS MADE: 1915- mid 1920s   
COST:   $50
CASE/CABINET SIZE:  16 ½ in. high, 16 ¾ in. base x 22 in. per Frow
TURNTABLE:   ---
REPRODUCER:  Diamond C (Serial number 3125) 
MOTOR:   Double spring
HORN DIMENSIONS:   Internal, 10 in. x 8 in. (per Frow)
REPRODUCTION PARTS:   None
CURRENT VALUE:   Unknown
INTERESTING FACTS : Possibly the earliest surviving Amberola 50

 

Alright guys, I know the Amberola 50 probably isn’t the most interesting machine out there to make my first featured entry. I promise it’s worth it. As George suggested in his post on the Victor III, this Amberola really fits the bill of “a common machine with an unusual feature.”

 

According to George Frow, the Amberola 50 was introduced in June 1915 at $50, with 350 machines sold in that first month. Over the life of the Amberola 50, it was subject to several price increases, reaching a high of $68 in 1918 before finally reverting back to the original $50 price in April 1923. From the Amberola 50s I’ve observed in my research, the serial numbers indicate over 42000 units made. Certainly a respectable run.

 

What makes this machine special? Quite frankly, it really shouldn’t exist. After the devastating fire of December 1914, the Edison Phonograph Works were doing all they could to get production up and running. This resulted in a number of post-fire hybrid models, using whatever survived to get phonographs out the door. Per George Frow, Edison was left with 859 cabinets on order for the Amberola V. Since they were obliged to accept these 859 cabinets, the company decided to fit them with the new Amberola 50/75 mechanism and ship them as the Amberola B-V, beginning in May 1915 at a price of $65. It was the perfect solution, the 859 cabinets would be used up, and life could move on. But were all the Amberola V cabinets really used on the B-V? Apparently not...

 

This Amberola 50, the 16th machine off the line, is housed in a mahogany Amberola V cabinet. Instead of the standard Amberola V wood grille, it sports a painted metal grille similar to the one used on the Amberola VI. In my burgeoning Amberola 30/50/75 database, this is the lowest serial number I’ve found to date. The next lowest, number 41, is also housed in a mahogany Amberola V cabinet. But #41 is missing the pinstriping visible here on #16. Evidently the pinstriping was not very long lived in Amberola 50 production. My Amberola 50 is effectively a B-V, even though it isn’t labeled as such. I find myself wondering what came first, the earliest 50s, or the B-V?

 

Sure, the Amberola 50 is a common machine that doesn’t excite much collector interest. But I think this example is unique enough to deserve to be featured. It’s a cool window into a very desperate time in the life of the Edison phonograph.

 

 

[phonogfp]

It doesn't get much better than a machine that isn't supposed to exist!

 

I suspect that during B-V production, the decision was made to re-name it the Amberola 50 in order to simplify the Amberola line to those 3 basic models (30, 50, and 75).  Once the old V cabinets were exhausted, the conventional 50 cabinet was sent out.  That's my theory anyway!

 

Very interesting, Nate!

 

George P.

[Jerry]

Thanks Nate! What a cool example and with a lot of Edison history behind it. It would be easy to cast off as a Frankenphone were it not for your great research! It is truly a special machine.

 

Quote

... the Amberola 50 is a common machine that doesn’t excite much collector interest. But I think this example is unique enough to deserve to be featured ...

 

In my view, no machine is too common to post here as long as it has a special place in someone's collection. Every machine has a unique story to tell, but the story is not often known. When it is, such as with your 50, it makes any machine special.

 

Thanks!!

 

 

 

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Jerry