Hi, I found a flat-record Edison phono which needs repair. I don't have any books beyond the cylinder models, so I can't ID it specifically. But the Reiss book mentions a number of Diamond Disc machines (only one photo). I assume that this is one of those. It has the Edison label inside in black at the top and a part of a paper label with the no. 18 on it on the side inside. Stamped into the wood on the bottom inside is a 4 digit number.
It is fairly plain, a square section on the right for the phono and horn (it needs work on the mechanism which turns the horn from side to side, and the front fabric section is a mess). There is a square section on the left behind an ornate grid which held 24 records. The sign on it said "with records," but no one was there to answer WHERE the records were...the section was empty. It seems to have some type of diamond needle with an old-fashioned type of head as on the cylinder phonos...as best I could tell. I could not lift up the arm. The table does turn though. The grid over the records does resemble the grid on the A-425 model shown in Reiss (The Compleat Talking Machine), but without the cloth. I will call tomorrow to find out if there are indeed some records hidden somewhere in some other place. **Can anyone give me an idea of what this machine is, what vintage? rarity? What type of records did it take? Is it worth restoring? It is quite heavy, although I could not figure out why! The phono part is not all that big. It is basically an oblong cabinet on legs with 2 compartments: Phono with built-in metal horn on the right; records on the left. Many thanks for any input! Ger PS: Where might I find photos of the Diamond Disk machines?? _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
