EDISON DIAMOND DISC Gramophone ~ Windup Record Player

Impressive

EDISON DIAMOND DISC

GRAMOPHONE

In Very Good Working Condition

Regarded by many collectors as the 'ROLLS ROYCE' of gramophones, the Edison Diamond Disc player is one of the most sought after and collectable of all.

Unlike regular gramophones which used steel needles that had to be changed for every record played, the Edison machine used a diamond stylus which never needed changing.  Edison also produced a special range of 1/4 inch thick records compatible with the Diamond Disc player, and could not be played on a regular gramophone.  These Diamond Discs [or 'Re-Creations' as they were called by Edison] are now also rare and collectable.

BACKGROUND:

There is an entry in WIKIPEDIA which states in part:

In October 1912 the Edison Diamond Disc Record was introduced. Edison Laboratories had been experimenting with disc records for some 3 years, as the general public seemed to prefer them to cylinders. The thick Edison Discs recorded the sound vertically in the groove rather than laterally (as was the case with Pathé's discs), and could only be played to their full advantage on Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs. This combination produced audio fidelity superior to any other home record playing system of the time. However Edison Discs and phonographs were more expensive than the competitors. This together with the incompatibility of the Edison system with other discs and machines had an adverse effect on Edison's market share. Nonetheless, Edison Discs for a time became the third best selling brand in the United States, behind Victor and Columbia Records.

This is a very interesting and sophisticated machine which has a number of unique features, including a worm drive to move the arm across the record surface and a volume control in the form of a damper within the metal cone.  Also has a built in storage cupboard with slots for a number of records.

I will include 2 Diamond Disc Recordings with the machine, which can be selected from around 40 I currently have available in my shop.

The gramophone also comes with a second reproducer that allows standard 78rpm records to also be played on the machine.  This greatly extends the useability of the machine as the normal records are much easier to obtain and have a wider range of artists.

IMAGES:

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  As can be seen in the photographs, this antique gramophone is in good overall condition.  The windup motor works well and plays at least one full record before needing to be rewound.  Both heads work fine and produce a delightful sound through the large internal horn.  The finish on the cabinet is somewhat crazed and dull in places, but still looks good and is very original.  There have been no well intended attempts to 'restore' the cabinet.  There are a few minor chips out of the woodwork and some surface scratches but do not really detract from the stunning appearance of this fine old 'talking machine'. 

 VIEWING:

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SHIPPING:

Local pickup is the best option for this item.  The phonograph is too big for the postal system.