The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have a confession to make... I know I am a fan of Edison records and machines, but recently, I have been buying more "GASP!" 78's. Manily, becuse I can find 78's more easily, then Edison records. Also, I have had other people donate, some of their old 78's to me as well. Don't get me wrong, I still love Edison records, and machines, and always will. It's more of a matter of what I can find. Of course since my collection of 78's expanded, I needed to buy a second cabinet. This really, can become an obsession.


Paul

Paul,

Based on some people I know, I can imagine that it might not take long for you to fill your home with records (records, everywhere), especially if you start buying from a seller like bartrade who will hold your records until you have a box of them and ship them all together.

I know John has bought a lot of stuff like this; I’ve gone to the post office to pick up quite a few boxes for him.

— MordEth

Nooooooo!!!!!!! not 78's!!!!!

I guess I can come clean then. I've bought a bunch of them too. 78's can be a little like warm beer. First experience is not nice but after awhile you learn to enjoy. An aquired taste.

Well, as not to become to carried away, with buying lot's of 78's. I decided, to look for and buy more unique, or unusal one's. Like, my Columbia Demonstration Disc, and "Oriole" disc that were sold in McCrory. Only because I remeber that store. Same goes for Montgomery Ward.


Paul

Paul,

I promise not to tell Thomas Edison that you are enjoying the competitors' products. Shhhh!

Come to think of it, I recall seeing a Victrola in a photo of one of Edison's workshops.






Rocky

Thank You Rocky!

Maybe Edison, was trying to understand his competitors?


Paul

Always enjoy a record to hear at least once no matter who the maker. Edisons which have recently been my most exhaustive search, do have some ups and some down sides. A good acoustic machine will play many things quite well and with a somewhat different effect than an edison. For one the surface on say a Brunswick can be nearly non existent which is a plus. I find the presence of an Edison disc to be much greater in detail than a competitors product. But to me that also has a down side in that it can be nearly over bearing in its projection. While my brunswick has a rather blended but satisfying sound, and many more sophisticated orchestras to draw from it lacks the precise detail of sound that one becomes to expect on Edison recordings. That is why pinning down one or the other as a sole collection is pretty much impossible to me. In short I almost never play a reocord I don't think I need to keep, even though I don't or they would run me out of the house long ago.

As a side note, I almost posted about something I did the other day.. Trying to consolidate my living room to one machine, I was pretty sure the Orthophonic should end up winning. So I moved it to the new corner location I had decided to use. I put on some orthophonic records and listened as I usually do from the connecting room. I kept thinking that the electrical records often seemed thin sounding in some way. I put on a piano record and found it nearly tinny sounding in some ways. I put the edison over in the same corner, and instantly the presence of the instruments filled the rooms. Not really what I expected exactly. I know the Orthophonic can do some amazing things, and Edisons can be noisy, and vary widely in quality, but when they were well recorded things just fall together that makes things sound really full and lifelike. The Edison ended up staying in the corner.

Yea, and I have two Edison machines, but only one Victrola. Talk about irony?

Paul

Edisonfan wrote:Yea, and I have two Edison machines, but only one Victrola. Talk about irony?

Paul,

With your user name, I don’t think so...obviously you’re an Edison fan if you have more Edison machines.

In Larry’s case I think it would be hard to narrow down to just one machine—I would think most people would end up with one machine to play each type of record they are likely to want to listen...e.g. one cylinder machine, one Diamond Disc machine, one machine to play 78s...

— MordEth

Actually, that was what I wanted to do, when I first got into this field. Too have a different machine, too play the different types of recordings. Although, I did keep holding off on buying a Victrola, until I was convinced by fellow collector's, on all the other music I was missing, by not owning a Victrola.

Paul