The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello,
I purchased the three tunes, Fun in a Barber Shop, At a Georgia camp meeting and Stars and Stripes. All three are great tunes, you won't be disappointed! I wish they still had The Liberty Bell march!
Pete

You have probably all been to the Union show. I have never been able to go but since retirement I am planning to go this next June. I will be looking for concert cylinders with certain titles. Can you tell me if there have been many such cylinders there for sale in the past? Are the prices comparable to what has been on Ebay? I recently bought 5 for $50 to$60 each in fair condition. The surface noise was exceeded by the music in all but one of them as there was some mold. The nicer ones on ebay with no mold in excellent condition I have seen go for $500 to $600 bucks. I think that is kinda high for one record myself but to each his own????? What have you guys found????

Hello,
You will find 5" brown wax Concert cylinders for sale at Union. The problem will be condition. As you know brown wax is susceptible to mould and it is also soft and damages easily. Personally I have no interest in Concert cylinders that are mouldy or have scores or cut marks in the playing surface as this detracts from the fun of listening to them. If I were you I would buy only mint or near mint condition ones. I bought a mint Concert cylinder at Union two years ago and paid $180.00 for it. You should buy a few really nice originals and also some of the repros from The Vulcan Company. That way when someone comes over to your house you can demonstrate with the Vulcan cylinder and not have to worry about damaging an original.
There is also another possibility in the works. One of our Forum members is looking into the idea of shaving down very badly moulded Concert cylinders and recording original tunes back onto them.
Pete

Pete, I have also a friend that has been working on the production of wax concert cylinders. He has a recipe for the original wax component and is obtaining the equipment for just such a project. The problem has been with the time it will take to develop many aspects and experimentation of such an undertaking. One of the major hitches is developing a mold of the correct diameter that will be large enough but not too large as when the wax cools there is a certain amount of shrinkage. I would also assume that whatever material or later changes in such material would also determine the percentage of shrinkage.

I do know that as soon as a marketer/developer begins manufacturing either a shaved and custom recut or a cylinder molded and cut from scratch that the interest would be phenomenal. If the finished product was not too cost prohibitive, I would place a standing order of a dozen or so of my favorite tunes.

I like the idea of what Vulcan has with the exception that the titles are extremely limited. That is why new or shaved and recut custom ordered wax concert records would go like hotcakes probably all over the world. As I say, I am ready !

I thought that Paul Morris in the U.K. was
making and selling 5-inch brown wax concert blanks.

Chuck

My understanding is the 5-inch ocncert records were made on a request basis and that dealers did not stock these records like they stocked the 2 and 4 minute standard sized cylinders. If somone wanted a recording by a paticular artist on a 5-inch cylinder a request was made and the artist came into the Columbia/Edison studio and made the recording. I may be wrong, but that is what has been told to me. Yes and I am a fan of Concert/Grand records.

Rick

Phonofolks wrote:My understanding is the 5-inch ocncert records were made on a request basis and that dealers did not stock these records like they stocked the 2 and 4 minute standard sized cylinders. If somone wanted a recording by a paticular artist on a 5-inch cylinder a request was made and the artist came into the Columbia/Edison studio and made the recording. I may be wrong, but that is what has been told to me. Yes and I am a fan of Concert/Grand records.

Rick

A large number of Edison and Columbia titles were available on both standard and five inch cylinders. The five inchers were pantographed just like the regular cylinders with the same catalog numbers (plus a special suffix e.g.: "G" for Grand). Although dealers probably didn't stock large numbers of Concert/Grand cylinders (unless they had several active customers), the jobbers had stocks of them and could supply requested titles within a few days.

After moulded cylinders became widely available in 1902, the Edison five inchers continued to be pantographed until July 1907 when the Concert Phonograph was discontinued. In November 1908 the Edison Phonograph Monthly announced an attachment for the Concert that would allow it to play 2 and 4 minute cylinders. Edison five inch cylinders had disappeared by the time the four minute cylinders were introduced. Columbia seems to have discontinued its Grand records after the late 1904 catalog.

George P.

You guys are like a wellspring of knowledge when it comes to these machines and their history. I appreciate you guys!! Oh, by the way, I received the 5 inch mandrel from Jean Paul for my A B Macdonald. It took a while to get it but it was worth the wait. It works perfectly and looks original. I am very pleased with the results. Thanks again.

I am not at present ready to purchase one but by this next fall I will be looking for a GG 5 inch mandrel machine in good condition. I know that my chances are probably slim or none in finding one but is there anybody out there who has one and might be willing to part with it by then? Fat chance HUH???

obmcclintock wrote:I am not at present ready to purchase one but by this next fall I will be looking for a GG 5 inch mandrel machine in good condition. I know that my chances are probably slim or none in finding one but is there anybody out there who has one and might be willing to part with it by then? Fat chance HUH???

I would suggest placing a "want" ad in our Yankee Trader. Many members watch that section. So, you never know... .