Beautiful Hepplewhite, 1919 Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph in Mahogany with Gold Fittings and Original "Fleur-de-Lis" Grille - and coming with a "Balance" Adapter for Regular 78rpm Records, Serviced and Working

In a Nutshell
This phonograph is all you need to play the "thick Edison" and the regular 78 rpm records - it has an attachment, that plays the latter very very gently

Introduction:
Edison Diamond Disc records ("flattened out Edison cylinders") are thick because they are scanned like cylinders with a vertically moving diamond stylus mounted into a heavy metal shank, requiring a very flat surface for the records. The diamond disc reproducer uses an unusual diaphragm made of seven layers of rice paper impregnated with shellac, and the records have a bakelite surface. The vertically cut grooves can be placed much denser (150 tracks per inch, taken as the mean between 100 tpi for 2-minute and 200 tpi for 4-minute Edison cylinders) than those of a regular shellac record (on average 70 tpi), because they do not have to accommodate the horizontal excursions, needed for these lateral cut Berliner or Victor-type records. Since both record types are played with about the same speed of 80 rpm, not only the playing time (5 minutes per side) but also the dynamic range is much larger for Edison records. Edison "re-created", not simply "recorded" his artists performances, and had these recreations tested by the public in his famous "Tone Tests". It is tragic that Edison had to give up his superior vertical philosophy in 1929 for both, cylinders and records, because production of lateral discs was much cheaper. He himself had sold a lateral attachment for 6 months in 1919, but stopped, when sales of diamond discs started declining.
With the end of WWI, Edison in March 1919 unveiled the H-19 Hepplewhite model, together with the S-19 Sheraton and C-19 Chippendale models, not so "New models" as announced but adaptations of earlier designs. Of the three the Hepplewhite is the nicest, because of its repwood "Fleur de Lis" grille. This grille is often broken and, unlike the ones for the other models, can hardly be reproduced, which makes an original Hepplewhite stand out.
There are two more features, that make the phonograph offered here outstanding: its gold-plated fittings (as opposed to the cheaper nickel version), and its additional adapter (or attachment) for regular 78rpm records. It is a very rare (gold-plated as well) adapter made by the small company "The Balance", featuring a ball-bearing lateral hinge, that takes away any lateral forces acting on the needle. Other adapters like Kent's Kentone No.2, Jewel, Orotone, Empire, Quaker, etc. have much simpler designs. The reproducer is of a standard metal-diaphragm type. Playing regular records of course takes advantage of the Edison feedscrew: the tone-arm of the adapter can be short and light and still the tracking error caused by the difference between the feedscrew and the lateral thread advancements is minimal, especially for low-volume records. Record wear is significantly less and fidelity better than on lateral machines, like Victrolas, etc.

Additional information:
ref. 1.    "History-of-the-Edison-Diamond-Disc-Phonograph-Records" at http://reviews.ebay.ca
ref. 2.    Free manual at http://www.nipperhead.com/old/ddisc.htm

About my phonograph:
The phonograph is in mint condition, visually and technically. The cabinet has next to no veneer damage, its original crackled mahogany finish and an original Fleur-de-Lis grille, that looks like new. The gold-plated fittings are without corrosion and other wear, with the exception of the original crank's grip (pict.15). The adapter has been equipped with new gaskets. The phonograph plays loudly, clearly and without distortions both, Edison and 78rpm records (click on last thumbnail for a 13MB flash movie). Edison records are not included but can be added at little extra costs. Please e-mail me (Kris) for any questions, ich spreche Deutsch, je parle Français.

Here are the specifications:

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