Book Recommendation

[AZ*]

Like several of the others here, when I started collecting phonographs in the 1960s, FTFTS and "The Fabulous Phonograph" were about all we had. Fortunately, the library in my town had both which I read cover to cover. Later I bought my own copies. Since "The Fabulous Phonograph" is very readable, my wife read it and actually knows the difference between a gramophone and a phonograph.

I also have most of the GP & TF books, and refer to them quite often. Despite the books' size and all their wonderful pictures, they are not coffee table books. Read the text!!!

You might learn something.

[phonogfp]

I can't let this topic pass without a comment about "Tinfoil to Stereo". I realize that this was one of the first books about phonographs to be available, and so it was widely consumed by eager collectors. But as already mentioned, this book is rampant with errors. Not the least of which is that Welch is so pro-Edison and anti-Victor that this obvious bias is embarrasing when viewed from today's perspective and knowledge base. Consequently, much of the "technical" assertions that Welch pontificates on regarding the "superiority" of vertical versus lateral modulation is just plain baloney. It's wrong and it has been proven wrong in multitudinous technical journals in all the years since the publication of this book.

Long story short - lateral monophonic analog recording is inherently technically superior to vertical in several very demonstrable and mathematically provable ways. Which invalidates a lot of the technical and musical malarkey that Welch exudes in his book. So I would advise taking Welch's assertions with the appropriate grain of salt.

For those interested in just how many errors exist in Tinfoil to Stereo, here's a link to an article on the topic that appeared in the March 2010 issue of The Sound Box:

http://victrolagramophones.proboards.co ... hread=1029

Hope everyone finds this interesting.

George P.

[phonogfp]

I also have most of the GP & TF books, and refer to them quite often. Despite the books' size and all their wonderful pictures, they are not coffee table books. Read the text!!!

Bless you, AZ...

George P.