The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

PeterF wrote:Which single phonographic acquisition had the most surprising upside? That is, for what did you pay little or nothing, to quickly or later find it was super fun or an all-time favorite?

My "Curt C. Andrus" Mahogany Edison Chippendale C 250 Diamond Disc Phonograph that I bought last year from phonogfp (at a very nice price). Hands down it is my most loved and played machine. It (and he) are the reason I have spent 100s of hours researching the C 250 and C 19 over the past year.

What is your favorite record?

Best,
Fran

fran604g wrote:What is your favorite record?

It sometimes depends on the mood I'm in, but I would say I always enjoy Nat Shilkret's "What Do We Do on a Dew-Dew-Dewy Day?" which is tied with Paul Whiteman's "Honey, I'm in Love With You"

What's the worst basket case you've ever ressurected?

The worst basket case is a Dictaphone shaving machine
found on Craigslist for $25 two years ago.

It had been stored in a damp basement that at least a few times had about 4 inches of standing water. The casters
were completely rusted off.

The mandrel was solid rust, the motor was frozen
solid, the rheostat was burned open in several spots
and the rheostat's wiper contact was burned completely off.

The feed screw was solid rust. I only expected to
*maybe* be able to save a few parts for spares.

However, as I got to taking it apart I found out
that it had been so encrusted with old wax shavings,
that the rust had nothing to stick to, so it all came
off very easily leaving nice metal underneath.

The mandrel ended up just a little pitted but perfectly
good for use. The motor freed up easily after a little
coaxing with some oil. The feed screw cleaned up nicely.

Once the mouse-nest had been removed from the motor
compartment, that all cleaned up surprisingly good.

The rheostat was repaired by unwinding the resistance
wire and soldering it back together at the breaks
and there were many, many such breaks. A new wiper
was formed from sheet brass and installed.

Once the rheostat was tested good, then motor and
rheostat were clipped up in series and connected
to 120 volts AC and the motor took right off and ran
perfectly after a cleaning of its commutator.

The machine all went back together nicely, a new
belt was made for it, and it shaved its first blank
about 32 hours after I started working on it!

All it ended up needing was a new belt and a new
wiper for its rheostat. Never expected it to work
again as a complete machine, but it is now one of
my best and most accurate shavers!

What is the most worn-out cylinder you've ever listened
to?

Chuck

The most worn-out cylinder I have listened to is my copy of Fisher's Hornpipe on Gold-Moulded Record. Once I got used to mentally filtering out the mold sound, I really liked the music, but for some reason, it has developed such severe wear in a small bit of the groove (like a single revolution in length) that it skips there several times before the feed screw pulls the stylus along. I don't know how it happened... I am using the proper reproducer and speed setting, and my stylus is supposed to be good... At any rate, I recorded it digitally before this came to pass, so I still listen to it on my computer.

What is the strangest use you have found for your phonographs?

(Mine is using my VV 2-55 to regulate the duration of sparring matches with my brother, for which I select records that all play for about the same length of time, as judged by looking at where the grooves end.)

winsleydale wrote:Obviously my Diamond Disc bedplate; it could stop handgun bullets without issue, and would be a pretty decent blunt-trauma weapon, as well.

What machine in your collection has its own sub-collection of reproducers, and how many are there?

N.B.:
Cast iron makes a poor bullet deflector - it's too brittle, and, in thin plates, such as a phonograph bedplate, will simply break out a chunk where the bullet strikes, and crack the surrounding material. The 'spall' would become a secondary projectile, capable of damaging anything (or anyone) beyond the breakout, not to mention the bullet itself. I did considerable testing of various handgun calibers against old auto engine blocks (of cast iron), and found that most modern calibers, particularly with fairly high initial velocities and full metal jackets, will crack or hole the thin areas of the block (water jacket passages, etc.) at reasonably short ranges. If you must depend on your DD for body armor, use the whole motor assembly, bedplate and turntable.
Posted as a safety issue only - no related or other question follows :->

mhb - Mike

winsleydale wrote:What is the strangest use you have found for your phonographs?

(Mine is using my VV 2-55 to regulate the duration of sparring matches with my brother, for which I select records that all play for about the same length of time, as judged by looking at where the grooves end.)

I have a rescued king snake that I got from someone who lost interest in him and was just going to "toss him in a field" because he thought "He'll be fine". He was an escape artist who would get in the corner of the aquarium and push the screen lid up enough to sneak out. He got out twice and luckily I found him both times rather quickly.

I put a Victor I (without the horn) on top of the screen so he couldn't lift the lid and escape anymore until I bought a new enclosure for him.

At what age were you when you first became interested in phonographs and new you wanted to be a collector?

PHONOMIKE wrote:

winsleydale wrote:What is the strangest use you have found for your phonographs?

(Mine is using my VV 2-55 to regulate the duration of sparring matches with my brother, for which I select records that all play for about the same length of time, as judged by looking at where the grooves end.)

I have a rescued king snake that I got from someone who lost interest in him and was just going to "toss him in a field" because he thought "He'll be fine". He was an escape artist who would get in the corner of the aquarium and push the screen lid up enough to sneak out. He got out twice and luckily I found him both times rather quickly.

I put a Victor I (without the horn) on top of the screen so he couldn't lift the lid and escape anymore until I bought a new enclosure for him.

At what age were you when you first became interested in phonographs and new you wanted to be a collector?

Five. One August we were visiting an uncle in Brooklyn NY, my Dad's older brother. They had just moved his mother-in-law into their spare room, her machien, an oak VV-X of 1915 vintage was in the cellar, and I was allowed to play it. How I did play it, for the lake day that we were visiting. On the trip home all that I could talk of was "the Victrola". For weeks afterward, months, as my Mom recalled. That December, when asked what I wanted for Christmas, I insisted upon a Victrola, even asking Santa for on when we visited him at Higbees. Christmas Eve, I found a cowboy gun, and other sundry disappointments under the tree, but when we went to Grandpa Bartik's for Christmas dinner he took me into his attic and gav me my first "Victrola" which was actually his father's ramshackle Victor V. Oh how I loved that machine!

What was your first exposure to music?

When I was a kid and my Dad bought a new stereo. It played 78's, 33's and 8-tracks. At the time it opened up a whole new world of music for us to listen to.

How many shows, auctions, or phono events do you attend a year?

PHONOMIKE wrote:How many shows, auctions, or phono events do you attend a year?

I try to make the Orlando show every year and I hope to make it to Union before too long. I have also picked up odds and ends at MBSI meeting marts, where members bring things to sell; most recently a little Pathé reversible cylinder machine. I go to 4 or 5 of these a year.

What phonograph do you have that you find the most interesting and unusual? Whether it is high or low-end, rare or common, there is just something about it that holds your interest.

Clay

FloridaClay wrote:
What phonograph do you have that you find the most interesting and unusual? Whether it is high or low-end, rare or common, there is just something about it that holds your interest.

Clay

I love my Aerophone phonograph. Its by far the one that I've enjoyed more restoring it as there are almost no information about them apart from some old advertisements and a reprint of a catalogue. The help in this forum was invaluable.

What is the strangest/weirdest record you have bought? (I have a Japanese one that I really love although I don't understand a single world of it nor can read the label and two Australian ones with aboriginal songs that are mesmerizing)

Regards,

Pedro