The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Steve wrote:I seem to recall that Pathé machine made 1000 Euros on Ebay a few years ago. I also like them although the merit of the design is apparently questionable. I am not lucky enough to have heard one but I know people who have who weren't overly impressed.

I failed to follow that auction to the end, so wasn't aware of the final selling price... which would be closer to 1600 or 1700 US? that doesn't seem too bad of a price, although that particular example surely has seen better days... and the dust and filth wouldn't deter me as much as what appears to be warping to the case in various areas. I've never heard one either, or even seen one in person, although I agree that the sound can't be that enhanced by the second horn (similar to those american duplex machines - more gimmick than punch)... still, the look is just interesting to me.

gramophone78 wrote:I think a collector I know has the three horn DGC machine.I will ask him if he would send me a pic of it that I can post.

That would be great. Please post if possible!

Here's the Berliner experiment that I alluded to earlier. This is taken from the Berliner Gramophone an Illustrated History, published by Domenic Di Bernardo which is a little goldmine for illustrations like this.

Jim

estott wrote:From what I've read the companies had all sorts of (theoretical) plans for these multi-disc machines involving special records. You could Have a tenor accompanied by an orchestra, change a disc and it's a soprano, add a disc and it's a soprano-tenor duet, change a disc and it's a soprano with a violin. It wasn't a completely new idea- the Symphonion "Eroica" music box featured three discs which could use complimentary arrangements.

I used to have a Symphonion 'Eroica' that I purchased from the daughter of the original owners. American Symphonion also produced a triple disc 'Imperial' with the discs arranged horizontally as opposed to the vertical arrangement in the 'Eroica'.

From a museum in Finland, I emailed them about my Mammut and saw these pics on their website. http://www.mekaanisenmusiikinmuseo.fi/

detail

Those two machines have got to be some of the most unusual and interesting machines I've ever seen! Thanks for sharing that picture.

George Paul - I don't remember seeing either one of these machines in your books. Had you seen anything like this before?

Yes this is the machine I was talking about.I would love to have the triple!!!! .If I remember correctly,you were to play one record at a time.What a great machine.I think there is one more table model that is also in Europe and in a private collection.

I had no idea these even existed before opening this thread. How completely nuts. Yet, it's completely fascinating at the same time. I'd love to see a youtube video of one of these in action!

Auxetophile wrote:
George Paul - I don't remember seeing either one of these machines in your books. Had you seen anything like this before?

Only in catalogues!

George P.