The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Are there lists of piano recordings or artists for the different makes of cylinder records.
Thanks to all responding,
Allen

Not that I'm aware of, no, but the major guides to the various brands and types of cylinders all have an artist index. Once you find an artist you like you can look them up to see what they recorded over the years.

If you don't want to buy the books, you can always download various discographies from truesoundtransfers.de, which are in Excel format and therefore fully searchable.

made me think- I've very seldom found piano solo records on cylinders. Only ones I have are Edison Amberols.

The CD and DVD have one socially redeeming quality:
Piano music is superb on them.

In the first book on Edison Blue Amberols it stated that there was a problem with waver on Blue Amberols of piano recordings.edisonplayer

The piano was one of the least satisfactory instruments to record in the early days. The best results were obtained from instruments with "attack", which is why banjos, bells, xylophones and military bands dominated the early cylinder catalogues.

Of course the human voice also recorded well, but the piano accompaniment usually did not.

The matter of piano recording is very complicated, the phonograph must be absolutely smooth to record it properly, staccato notes are not so bad, but long sustained ones, can sound dreadful. Edison Triumphs were used to make master records such as the one below, located at the Edison Historical Park, in West Orange N.J. I think the issue was the regular phonograph of the day,for playback the belt slipped, the governor not up to par the records might warble, but not so much the recordings themselves. The recording phonographs though did have solid mandrels, and a large flywheel. I will say though that prior to 1903, most vocal recordings, and solo instrument recordings have piano accompaniment, however no pure piano records. Band records, were... well band records. I did make a pretty good piano record at the Bix home, of a grand piano.

edisonplayer wrote:In the first book on Edison Blue Amberols it stated that there was a problem with waver on Blue Amberols of piano recordings.edisonplayer

The 1913 Benoist has a waver- sounds as if the piano is full of water: http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/searc ... linder0811


By the 20's Edison made excellent piano discs: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cJMDLqmM8o[/youtube]

The Diamond Discs certainly are the best acoustical piano records ever recorded, notice how good the highs and lows, stand out and the attack. As I said, I think the recording head I have was really meant for Diamond Disc masters and not just cylinders. In a few days, i will receive some smaller glass discs 15mm in diameter .006-.0085" thick, to go in the center of the 33mm glass, so to make a stepped glass recording diaphragm, I suspect that it will increase the clarity and attack of the recording diaphragm. I have been getting better and better results with the combination of glass diaphragm and different, dampening materials. I have a bed plate, soon that I will be equipping with the studio feed screw larger drive pulley, machined brass lower pulley and large flywheel on the larger diameter upper pulley. Eventually machining also a solid brass mandrel. I will need to make an 8 toothed gear to go on the mandrel for four minute masters and then a 16 toothed gear for two minute masters, this is chain driven from the mainshaft, to the aux master feedscrew.

estott wrote:

edisonplayer wrote:In the first book on Edison Blue Amberols it stated that there was a problem with waver on Blue Amberols of piano recordings.edisonplayer

The 1913 Benoist has a waver- sounds as if the piano is full of water: http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/searc ... linder0811


By the 20's Edison made excellent piano discs: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cJMDLqmM8o[/youtube]

I have a couple of copies of that recording...I urge any Edison DD fan to get a copy. These are nice piano solos. Great recording of Kitten on the Keys on the other side.

Jerry