The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

You're right. It does make you cringe.. But I have to admit when I was young 60 years ago and first starting to discover this stuff, I did some pretty dumb things too. At least he's exploring on a machine and record that won't matter much in the scheme of things. Hopefully he'll learn fast and realize his error

edisonclassm wrote: Sun Jan 28, 2024 8:44 pm You're right. It does make you cringe.. But I have to admit when I was young 60 years ago and first starting to discover this stuff, I did some pretty dumb things too. At least he's exploring on a machine and record that won't matter much in the scheme of things. Hopefully he'll learn fast and realize his error

I totally endorse the above sentiment. Edison machines are tough and I don't think it's a fatality. The LP was probably already trashed. Years ago I too did some "experimenting" and played a mid-1950s 45rpm on an acoustical Victrola--it kinda worked!

I confess I had a chuckle (or two) when I saw the clip. Now, THIS is the kind of stuff I reaaaaaaaly laugh at (idiocy is its own punishment):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUPCYpnzz-A

MP

Posts like this always make me wonder why we would expect "John Q. Public" to have any idea what type of record to properly play on a 110-year-old Edison phonograph.

JerryVan wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 11:46 am Posts like this always make me wonder why we would expect "John Q. Public" to have any idea what type of record to properly play on a 110-year-old Edison phonograph.

Because 110 years ago, the only disc records were 78s. I just can’t imagine someone trying to play a cylinder on a regular Victrola for discs.

LimeTree99 wrote: Sun Jan 28, 2024 2:36 pm Normally you see people try to play LP vinyl records on Victrolas, but doing it on an Edison diamond disc machine adds a whole new level of cringe.

Yeah, if he played it on a normal Victrola, it would at least reproduce sound, playing it on an Edison machine just outright destroys the recording.

Misetrgramophone wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 2:29 pm

JerryVan wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 11:46 am Posts like this always make me wonder why we would expect "John Q. Public" to have any idea what type of record to properly play on a 110-year-old Edison phonograph.

Because 110 years ago, the only disc records were 78s. I just can’t imagine someone trying to play a cylinder on a regular Victrola for discs.

110 years ago was 1914. Diamond Discs were most certainly around.

I teach history and do my best every time I step in front of students to shed a bit of light on the past. But I'm now wise enough to know that you can only scratch the surface--and that most things are going to be misinterpreted by John Q. Public when left to his own devices. We who feel we are "in the know" have to have some humility about that. As Walt Kelly's cartoon character Pogo said: "We have met the enemy and they are us."

It brings to mind the comedy publication from the 1970s where archeologists "of the future" discover the ruins of an old American motel--and wildly misinterpret what they find ("Archaeologists interpreted everyday objects like the TV set and the toilet seat to be sacred and precious"). So even we "experts" are going to get a lot of stuff wrong outside the world of the TMF.

Judge not, least ye be judged. (Which means that I should apologize for my last post, with its clip of a drunk guy tripping and planting his head into the wall of a police station).

gramophone-georg wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 4:06 pm

Misetrgramophone wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 2:29 pm

JerryVan wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 11:46 am Posts like this always make me wonder why we would expect "John Q. Public" to have any idea what type of record to properly play on a 110-year-old Edison phonograph.

Because 110 years ago, the only disc records were 78s. I just can’t imagine someone trying to play a cylinder on a regular Victrola for discs.

110 years ago was 1914. Diamond Discs were most certainly around.

Oof, guess I got stuck in 2015.

MisterGramophone wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 7:53 pm

gramophone-georg wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 4:06 pm

Misetrgramophone wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 2:29 pm

Because 110 years ago, the only disc records were 78s. I just can’t imagine someone trying to play a cylinder on a regular Victrola for discs.

110 years ago was 1914. Diamond Discs were most certainly around.

Oof, guess I got stuck in 2015.

Happens to the best of us