The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi, can anyone tell me how many times a home recording on a brown wax cylinder can be played before it begins to lose sound quality? Is it just the same as a commercially recorded brown wax cylinder? Many thanks Gordon.

debndunk wrote:Hi, can anyone tell me how many times a home recording on a brown wax cylinder can be played before it begins to lose sound quality? Is it just the same as a commercially recorded brown wax cylinder? Many thanks Gordon.

Should be just the same - one exception being the Columbia moulded brown wax records, which are slightly harder...

Bill

Hi Bill thanks for getting back on my question,seems like there are very few people doing recording with there machines.I needed to know before I bought a recorder as I would like to record and keep the recordings and be able to listen to them alot.Thanks for your help. Gordon

They will wear out quickly (about 50 plays or less) befor they wear out with a model C reproducer with a Edison B, automatic etc or Columbia floating reproducer they should last a considerable time

Home recorded cylinders should be played back with a round ball-like playback stylus as found on the earliest Columbia and Edison reproducers, and not the Oval or Egg-shaped stylus as found on most Edison 2-minute reproducers.

Hi and seasons greatings,Thanks for that,so is an Edison model A or a floting reproducer ok? and is it best to stick to one reproducer for brown wax cylinders? Many thanks Gordon

The Edison Automatic, Standard Speaker, and Columbia floating reproducers are the most appropriate for playback of both entertainment, and home recorded brown wax of both the Edison an Columbia types. I make recording blanks by the way, there are three of us who make our recording blanks from raw materials, and even I keep some of each kind by my recording phonograph, there is Borri Audio Laboratories, Paul Morris Music, and Richards Laboratories. All of these blanks made today all have and aluminum sodium steartate base compound. All three individuals product is hand made we make the compound through a shaved, usable blank.

http://members.tripod.com/~Edison_1/

Borri Audio Laboratories (Shawn Borri) U.S.

http://richardslaboratories.com/

Richards Laboratories (Chuck Richards) U.S.

http://www.paulmorrismusic.co.uk/

Paul Morris Music. (Paul Morris)UK

These are the primary manufactures of recording blanks today.

There are lots of helpful hints on my page to instruct you to make good recordings.

Hi, Thanks thats really helpful,these are all the things I need to know. Gordon

Although it is better to play home recordings
made on brown wax with a ball stylus (as it has been stated here in previous posts), I have had
very good results playing them using a C reproducer.

Yes, the model C does have a higher loading
due to the trunkated "doorknob" shape of the stylus. This presents less total contact area
on the wax than the earlier "ball" stylus does.

But the total amount of wear does not seem
to me to be excessive. Go ahead, if they are
new recordings, play them a few times with a C.
Just not too much...

Don't play old historical brown waxes
with a C though. That is not such a good idea.
Use the proper automatic reproducer or standard
speaker to play those, as Shawn pointed out.

Chuck