The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

There was a time when I would stay away from 78's. I was more intereseted in the music I grew up and lisented too as a kid. Howevere, that all changed when I bought my first victrola. Also with the advice of other phonograph collectors. Who told me, I was missing a lot of great music, by not collecting 78's. The other reason why i never collected 78's was because, I thought I would never find any music that I would recognize. I was wrong.

Now, I have a very nice modest collection of 78's. I'm not limited to muisc prior to 1929. I also have a few from 1929 onwards. Thanks to my new turntable with a 78rpm speed.

I want to thank everyone, who suggested that I collect 78's. There really is a great deal of music out there. I just wish more people would, listen to this music. Especially, from the accouistic era, and not just from the 1930's onward.

Paul

Paul,

I used to feel tha same about cylinders! But I changed!

But, hey - welcome to the shellac party! What kind of post '29 music you into - or is it too early to give an answer yet?

RJ

I can't remember if I did this post before or not?


Anyway, to answer your question Rich? I mostly look for songs that I recognise or know. Like "All of Me" "There ain't nobody here but us Chickens" "Dance with a Dolly" "Boggie Woggie Bugle Boy" "Zip A-Dee-Do-Dah" Even Spike Jones.

Paul

Along with a Triumph, pictured here is another example of what I've "used to avoid 78s" Okay I admit there's a lateral reproducer there too...

I grew up on obsolete records, often either from the family, or later the ones I hauled home by the thousands.. Then I got also into player piano rolls and had huge collections of songs that otherwise had long since disappeared. I think my exposure to that rich history of music has made my life all the better for it.. Now and then when working, (we had a piped in music system), I would hear things that for the most part were no longer played come across the system. It used to be fun to wonder if anyone else listening actually knew what the name of the selection was.
An old radio show that came on daily out of Chicago was Called " Don McNeils Breakfast Club. It ran till the mid 50's I think. One of the features I always liked was they used to have a player piano on the set and would play some early roll and try to have a person guess the name. You heard lots of vintage pieces that at that time I wasn't yet familiar with.. I think I could win that contest a lot of times today.

Paul,

As you know, I started with 78s and wasn't that interested in much else-now I have DDs and BAs and who knows what's next! I thoroughly enjoy them all and couldn't imagine limiting myself at this point. I will never be the sort of collector with a tightly focused collection, I supposes I'm to fickle, but the trusty Victrola will always be the anchor of my collection.

Regards,
John

Well, I did not want to limit myself either.

Paul