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Post by georgetown on Dec 6, 2009 12:21:37 GMT -5
I have an Edison W250. I was wondering how old it is. Is it worth fixing. Belonged to grandfather. Was the only piece of furniture rescued from the fire of their home in Alabama. Grandmother brought it to Missouri with her, but she stored it in the basement in the 1960's and it deteriorated.
It has this in the cabinet
Edison No 22
Form 890
Model No W250
Serial Number SM4115
Model 250 Diamond Disc
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Post by martin1 on Dec 6, 2009 16:29:06 GMT -5
Hi Georgetown!
I've referred to the "Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs" by George Frow, and find that the W250 was introduced in September of 1917. Your machine has a lower serial number, so I would guess that it might be within the first six months of production, probably early 1918. They initially sold for $250, which was quite a chunk of change back then. Properly maintained or rebuilt, they sound great for a machine of that era. I don't really know as to value. They are less common than the C250 or C19 which seem to be in the $250 - 400 range (depending). Were it me, I'd carefully clean it up (not refinish - unless absolutely necessary) and use it. I've often wished that my grandparents had kept their old machines and I envy folks that have a history with the machine. If you're lucky, the diamond stylus is still good. (A replacement is about $100.) If you can, post some pictures of it. You'll find that there's a lot of helpful folks on this board. If you're into doing the work yourself, get a copy of "The Compleat Talking Machine" by Eric Reiss. It gives an excellent overview to restoring and collecting phonographs. Whatever you do, try no to be in a hurry. Study up a little, first. And most of all, welcome to the happy, gentle insanity of phonograph collecting.
Best Regards,
Martin
(Martin1, Martinola)
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Post by bostonmike1 on Dec 6, 2009 17:27:13 GMT -5
Hello Georgetown--I agree with Martin (including his insanity statement) that if you post some pictures of your phonograph , you will be flooded with excellent advice and history to assist you. Martin,who first replied to your question----Maroongem who will lend you his expertise---and Larry our resident reproducer expert along with all of the other members on this board, will assist you in going as far as your desire takes you. I could not have said it any better than Martins' reply to you so I will parrot his advice ----take your time and do not feel overwhelmed. You have a true piece of history in your hands ,along with the family connection, so allow the men/women on this forum help you bring it back to life. There are NO MORE dumb questions left to be asked concerning phonographs( because I have already asked them all and there are none remaining) so sit back , enjoy and learn . Welcome to this insane community ;D. Michael
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Post by larryh on Dec 6, 2009 23:59:14 GMT -5
You haven't said what the actual issues your dealing with may be? If its a matter of some re-gluing of wooden veneer and other parts thats not too big a deal. When I got my C 19 which is a similar size machine the whole lid assembly at the rear had come loose from the cabinet and one of the front corner decorative blocks was missing. The finish was a wreck. After a summer of tries it now looks and sounds pretty good. Yours should have the largest horn they made for acoustic records so the sound would be the best. Records stored in a basement can be poorer sounding than some others due to moisture effecting the playing surfaces. We have a manual for how to work on edisons here in the technical area I believe it is. I will try to upload a photo of mine after I fixed up the cabinet. I did eventually change the olive green cloth to a more gold with texture in it. Seems more fitting in it somehow. Welcome and let us know more. Attachments:
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