Dear Al,
The triumph cost $50 when $5 a day for wages was a good salary. Who would pay
for and why would Edison sell in 1904 a machine with an outdated, poorly
sounding reproducer. Also why would he have an automatic from 1898 and a
carriage from early 1902 (or earlier) on a machine from after 1904?
Equally curious is why more of these are not existing.
Edison obviously was not organized and you see many examples of later machines
and reproducers with earlier parts, but Edison's goal was to sell records and
the early thin weight automatic sounds so bad on the molded records that no one
would enjoy gold molded records with it. Edison was so interested in selling
records that in 1919 he offered kits to upgrade the Standard, Home, and Triump
to the diamond B reproducer. I have seen a home that was modified with one of
the kits, the 2/4 decal was removed.
Around 1900 Edison almost doubled the weight of the automatic. It is true that
Edison never wasted and used up all the obsolete parts, but he did this in an
efficient manner. For example in 1901 he introduced the early B reproducer and
in 1902 he introduced the Model C reproducer. As you suggested rather than
waste he continued to offer the Model B on the Gem sans arm and the later
(serial number 50,000 to 90,000) Model B reproducer is found without the word
reproducer as he used the early B tops made for the arm.
I also found it extremely interesting that Mr. Triumph, Terry Baer essentially
said the same thing as you did.
I purchased a suitcase home that had the early two clip carriage. This
carriage had the adjuster for the arm machined off and it had the centering pin
and the "Speaker Clamp Screw" part #2531 installed. It was done so well if I
had not noted the four screw holes for the clips I would not have noticed a
modification was done.
So if Edison found the 1902 (or earlier) carriage after June 1904 he could have
updated the carriage and installed a model C so he could sell records to the
owner.
I believe had the seller had known there were three types of automatic made,
the length of production of the A, and that you can approximate the date of
phonographs and reproducers by the serial number he could have produced a more
convincing machine.
Best regards,
Steve
> I stand corrected, the seller sent me an email telling me that at the end
> of the Model As Edison just threw any and all parts together to clear the
> stocks! I guess he did not know that the Model As went for some time after
> the
> machine he has. The Model A ended around 51000.
>
> Of special interest is that the machine in question appeared sometime back
> on eBay in the raised panel cabinet with a normal arm carrying a Model C
> Reproducer and no adjustment arm. So, this seller put an 'New Style' cabinet
> on the works and attached an earlier arm with clips. The machine then became
> "rare."
>
> Or, maybe I just don't know anything... ;-)
>
> Al
>
> HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL
>
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