This cute little golden oak Amberola dates to after the great Edison factory fire of 1914. The Amberolas 30, 50 and 75 represented a mechanically simpler though still reliable iteration of earlier Amberola models. The numbers referred to the original price in dollars.
The Amberola 30 isn't rare, but it is an excellent, compact mechanism to play Edison's 4 minute celluloid cylinders.
This example has been mechanically restored, ie taken apart, inspected, cleaned, lubricated, adjusted and put back together. All the gears and bushings have been cleaned. The governor worm has been polished. Any defective parts are replaced; for example, on this particular machine we discovered a missing mandrel drive spring.
The mainspring has been pulled, cleaned and re-greased, a big job but important for smooth running. If you don't do this the mainspring can stick to itself as it unwinds, causing the machine to make a crunching sound as it plays, and rendering the speed erratic.
The reproducer plays loud and clear, with a good diamond stylus, and the machine is running properly, as you hear by following the audio link or viewing the youtube video embedded below.
Cosmetically, this Amberola 30 has a very nice, clean original finish. There is no veneer peel, which is probably present in about 95 per cent of these models. Everything is all original, down to the front grill, which is often missing.
Compare this to a pig-in-a-poke at the same price on a venue such as ebay.
Price includes a baker's dozen original Edison cylinder records as a bonus.
Lynn Bilton
Box 435
Randolph,OH 44265
330 325-7866
We buy, sell, and repair antique phonographs and music boxes.
Pick-up and delivery possible in many parts of the midwest,south, and northeast.
Mechanical music
for sale