Kruesi Tinfoil Reproduction

[SonnyPhono]

I started a thread about this phonograph in the "Machines" section. The owner decided to have me list it on eBay. If anyone is interested in it and have any questions, feel free to send me a PM. Also, if anything in the auction is not correct please let me know so I can revise it. I don't know too much about these so I want to make sure the listing is accurate.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :MESELX:IT

[gramophoneshane]

Wow. I had no idea these repros would sell for so much. Maybe it's time to find a new home for mine

Now dont get upset with me, but I notice you mention it's in good cosmetic & mechanical condition.
Im just curious, but have you actually seen it work & heard it play?

I still cant work out how it could work properly with the grooves on the mandrel how they are.

[Valecnik]

Some of those quality tinfoil reproductions look so good that it's scarey.

If you put them in a garage or chicken coop for a couple years an unscrupulous seller could easily pass one off as original. I like the quality reproductions of the incredibly rare stuff but in that respect it is a bit concerning...

[phonogfp]

Some of those quality tinfoil reproductions look so good that it's scarey.

If you put them in a garage or chicken coop for a couple years an unscrupulous seller could easily pass one off as original. I like the quality reproductions of the incredibly rare stuff but in that respect it is a bit concerning...

At least one experienced collector I know was taken in several years ago by a well-made tinfoil replica. There is usually one litmus test for a particular model that will determine its authenticity (e.g.: a part that was originally cast iron will be painted brass on the replica, or the pitch of the groove will differ between the original and the replica, etc.) Rene Rondeau's book, Tinfoil Phonographs, contains a chapter devoted to all known replica models and how to spot them.

Fortunately, a Kruesi model can't ever be passed off as original - - unless the potential buyer is seriously unschooled!

George P.

[SonnyPhono]

Wow. I had no idea these repros would sell for so much. Maybe it's time to find a new home for mine

Now dont get upset with me, but I notice you mention it's in good cosmetic & mechanical condition.
Im just curious, but have you actually seen it work & heard it play?

I still cant work out how it could work properly with the grooves on the mandrel how they are.

Thanks for asking, Shane! I am not upset at your question at all. That's why I wanted others to critique the listing so I could get feedback in case I need to revise or add to the listing.

I think it's in working condition as the styli and diaphragms are good and the mechanical aspect is near perfect. I did attempt to use the machine. I put the tinfoil on the mandrel and recorded my voice. I know it recorded because there were different frequencies of indentations on each of the threads. However, I must not have had the foil properly secured because when I tried to reproduce it, the foil was pulled by the reproducing stylus and was torn. I am going to carefully give it another try tonight and will take pictures as I go. Hopefully, if I am able to succeed with a recording, I will take a video for verification.

Ultimately you are right with your question. I don't know if it will work completely until I accomplish play back. If not, I will need to revise the listing. I was assuming that it is in working condition because it is complete and everything looks great on the machine. But I will try to find out tonight and will let you know!

Thanks for the question and feel free to ask more if you have any. They help me to learn and to make sure my listing is accurate.

[SonnyPhono]

Well, it worked! I'm pretty excited about too. I was able to put tinfoil on the mandrel, record my voice and play it back successfully. It took a few tries as I was anxious about possibly adjusting the recording stylus too close to the mandrel. So the first few tries didn't record the vibrations of my voice deep enough into the grooves to reproduce any sound when I replayed it. But on the 3rd try it worked perfectly. I have to admit that it was a cool experience when I heard my voice reproduced for the first time. It made me think about what went through Edison's head when his theory and invention worked. I imagine it was a very rewarding yet eerie experience. Up till that point, nothing existed that could reproduce recorded sound. It must have been quite an experience! I guess that's why a shortly after he was dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park".

I just plugged my camera in to charge so a video will have to wait until tomorrow. But I will post one and can now say that it is in working condition. Thanks again for the question Shane.

[JohnM]

Congratulations! I have long felt that when Edison said that "I was never so taken aback in my life" in describing his reaction to the first time he heard his own voice on foil, that he was not referring so much to the fact that it worked, but to how well it worked insomuch that the voice was recognizable as his own. I believe that he may have expected a mechanical approximation of his voice, but not such a faithful rendering. I'm looking forward to the video. May I request 'Mary Had A Little Lamb'?

[Valecnik]

Sonny, I too am waiting for that video. Hope your battery is charged by now.

If you have the time, film the whole process, you recording and then the playback.

[gramophoneshane]

Me too. In particular Im especially looking forward to seeing it work towards the end where the groove pitch alters. I'm still having a hard time understanding how it could successfully work in that area of the mandrel.

[SonnyPhono]

I finished the video and it turned out all right. I don't have a video camera so I had to use my digital camera. Because of that, the lighting is fairly poor and the audio isn't that good either. Also, I messed up while recording "Mary Had A Little Lamb". I sort of froze while recording and for some reason, forgot the words! I didn't want to redo it though because it is for sale and I want to make sure nothing happens to it. So feel free to "dog" me on the mistake!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LDQIJO_qc8[/youtube]