Thanks, Dave for this concise summary. Do you have a sense of how late the last of the lineage appeared in advertising or were available for sale?
Best regards, Andy On Oct 2, 2006, at 6:00 PM, David White wrote: > > The R-6 was one of the last radios produced by the Edison company. > In 1928, the C-1 and C-2 were produced (radio/phonographs - both would > play 78s and Diamond Discs). The radios produced that year were the > R-1 and R-2. In 1929, the C-4 radio/phonograph was introduced along > with the R-4 and R-5 radio sets. The C-4 played needle-type records > only. In 1930 the R-6 and R-7 were produced. I have a sales brochure > for an R-8 (basically a fancy R-5), but I have never run across this > model. Nine sets were produced altogether (10 if you include the R-8). > > The R-6 was Edison's top of the line set in 1930 selling for $297 > (without tubes). The set featured 'light-o-matic' tuning (as did the > '29 models). After tuning in your favorite station, you turned the > a small switch near the dial (with a special 'light-o-matic' key - > these are very difficult to find) which activated a plunger which > embossed a thin copper disc that rotates with the dial mechanism. The > next time you tuned in the station, the dial would display a 'flash of > crimson light'. The 1930 sets used three '24s, three '27s, two '45s > and one '80 tube. > > The R-7 differs from the R-6 only in that it is a slightly smaller > cabinet. The R-6 measures 48 1/2 high, 34 1/2 wide, 18 1/8 deep. The > R-7 measures 47 1/2 by 27 1/4 by 16 3/4. The R-7 sold for $268 in 1930 > (less tubes). The 1930 sales brochures list the R-6 and R-7 along with > the 1929 models which were still available at reduced prices (C-4 - > $325; > R-4 - $215; R-5 - $215). The mysterious R-8 could be had for $175. > > In terms of rarity, the 1929 models (C-4, R-4 and R-5) seem to be the > most common. The C-1 radio/phonograph is very rare (only six are known > to exist). C-2s turn up every so often and can bring a fairly good > price if they have all their bits and pieces (needle cup, correct tone > arm, record albums). The radio sets, ranked in order of rarity (again > based on my experience - and the $$$ I have paid for them) are: > > R-1 (least common) > R-2 > R-6 > R-7 > R-4 > R-5 (most common) > > These sets are in interesting study in the final years of the Edison > company. > > Dave White > Arden, NC > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:phono-l- > [email protected]] On > Behalf Of Andrew Baron > Sent: Monday, October 02, 2006 11:49 AM > To: Antique Phonograph List > Subject: [Phono-L] Scarce Edison radio > > Slightly off topic, but of potential interest to Edison collectors, a > seldom seen Edison R-6 Radio is on eBay. The only one of these I've > seen in person is (or was) at the Menlo Park museum (original Menlo > Park laboratory site in NJ). A few years ago when I visited there I > was able to get their R-6 working for them. That was during the very > beginning stages of the reorganization when Jack Stanley began taking > down things that didn't really belong (such as a poster sized photo > of the reproduction laboratory at Greenfield Village). I assume that > the R-6 was marketed in late 1930 and/or '31, which I believe would > make it the last Edison radio model marketed during Edison's life, > and the last of the Edison radio line. It had a dial arrangement > similar to the 1929 Light-O-Matic. If anyone has any further > information on the history of this model, I'd be most interested to > hear about it. On eBay, see: Old Thomas Edison 1930s console Radio > not phonograph Beautiful condition WORKS and plays great! No > reserve! Item number: 280034245207 > Regards, > Andy > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > [email protected] > > Phono-L Archive > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/ > > Support Phono-L > http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > [email protected] > > Phono-L Archive > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/ > > Support Phono-L > http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank
