The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

After reading all of your resolutions about saving money and space, while being selective, I finally came up with one I can live with: No more machines UNLESS it's a treadle machine for under $1,000.

no offense Curt A. but if i squint your avatar looks kinda like a slice of pepperoni pizza

AmberolaAndy wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 11:28 am Phono resolutions for 2024
Ok gang I’ve put off certain things phono wise due to other projects and life getting in the way..

1. Renew my subscription to The Antique Phonograph magazine
2. Get the Edison Standard B I got from Jerry B this past summer up and running and have it become my main recording machine since it’s a little rough around the edges, I don’t mind if it gets wax shavings all over it.
3. Ditto with the ICS Amberola 30 (atleast get a grill and new horn spring the chip out the pot metal on my reproducer to horn connector and if I’m lucky, have a replacement reproducer for it)
4. Get the elbow and crane for my Music Master bell.
5. Add more advertisements and newspapers articles to my threads about both
6. Get the proper speed screw and mounting screws for my Columbia eagle.
7. Finally send out the reproducers to Steve Medved
8. FINALLY get my first 7 inch Berliner, Zonophone, Columbia climax or any records from the 1893-1902 period
9. Ditto for brown wax records
10. Get my Columbia lyric repro rebuilt


I probably won’t guarantee everything but if I can get half of this list taken care of before 2025 I’ll be happy.

What are your Phono resolutions for 2024?

OK how did it go do on these resolutions?
1. I did that but later in the year
2. I still need a belt for it.
3. I did get the pot metal out of the horn connector but now that machine is in my storage unit because of my move in August.
4. My Music Master bell is also in my storage unit so I can't get to that...
5. I finally got newspapers.com back so I'm able to do that again!
6. I solved that buy buying a more complete Eagle, I still need the proper reproducer...
7. That didn't happen this year
8. Thanks to Gramophonegeorg giving me a 1899 Berliner this did happen!
9. Nope no brown wax this year...
10. That didn't happen either, I rebuilt no reproducers in 2024.

So 4 out go the 10 things did get resolved in 2024, I'll admit I was paying attention to other stuff I collect *cough movie cameras cough* than machines and records so I kinda been slacking off phono wise recently. But I managed to get THREE 1890s machines this year so it was a pretty good year too...

The worse thing that happened was I broke the leg to my VV-111 in August when I moved to a new house and had to tie down and gorilla glue that leg back together. I was absolutely furious that day because I removed the hardware and all to PREVENT that from happening and it STILL HAPPENED!

Oh and that one "Murphy's Law strikes again" thread I made in The Parlor section I'm still embarrassed about, (The one that started with an accident with me and a needle which evolved into me buying 3-4 Garrard turntables with issues which was settled with me buying a RC-80 that's now in storage (go figure)) I learned something. Portable Garrard turntables no matter if Fisher, Columbia, or Sylvania made them: they ALL have an issue with their built in pre-amps.

Roaring20s wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2023 1:03 am Keep on keeping on the hunt for good stuff.
Better 78s ... Blues especially.
Clean cylinder records of all types.
Help a friend sell some interesting phonographs.

James.

I kept it simple and am able to say I've met the goal!

In the continued interest of helping my friend sell, look here ...
https://tucson.craigslist.org/search/ss ... allery~0~0

James.

Selling 2 machines

epigramophone wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 1:50 pm Try to keep my 78 collection down to about 2000, by getting rid of some as rarer ones arrive.

Try to keep my Blue Amberols (the only cylinders I collect) down to about 200.

Keep looking for the HMV102's I need to complete the full set. They are :
The elusive pink one, a limited edition never catalogued.
The even more elusive pale green one. Should have bought it when I saw it in 2008.
The German Electrola, but not the overpriced one which has been on eBay for months if not years.
The Italian "La Voce del Padrone".
The Spanish "La Voz de su Amo".

More 78's, many of them free, came my way in 2024, but most went to the charity shop.
The total must be somewhere over 2000 now, so I have built additional record storage.
I bought a job lot of BA's at auction, kept the few I wanted and sold the rest. Total still about 200.

I bought a blue Electrola 102 cheaply on eBay. The overpriced (£399!) black one also on eBay is still there.
Italian and Spanish 102's still wanted, and now I know of an Australian version, but the owner won't sell.

For 2025..........

To learn to enjoy what I've already got rather than worry about what I haven't!

to order Squid every time it's on the menu

Get an Edison, Pathé or Columbia recorder
Get cylinder blanks
Start homemade 3d printed cylinder reproducer business
Buy a Pathé cylinder machine

I don’t usually do the resolution thing but a phonograph resolution I could try so here goes;
•Find some non spiritual Xmas cylinder records.
•Repair my / or have repaired my Pathé recorder and record something on a cylinder
.• try not to buy too many more projects

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year’s
Dan