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Hi. I just read the post on the Lambert cylinders. This made me think of an odd cylinder I have.

The cylinder is black. The inside is not the usual plaster. It has a ridge at the named end. The rest of the inside seems to be ?????, maybe paper? The tital is The Coquette, the artist is the 1431. Band. There is a patent date on it. PAT'D, JULY, 29, '02.

I have been playing it on my Amberola 30. Is this okay?

Any idea of the manufacturer of the cylinder?

Thank you in advance.

Kevin

Sounds like you have a two minute cylinder. Someone else may be able to chime in with which brand that patent date corresponds to, but it is probably either an Edison, Columbia, or Indestructible. An Amberola 30 is not equipped to play 2 minute cylinders... it is a 4 minute only machine. The reproducer moving at the 4 minute speed will result in skipping on this cylinder. The heavier weight can also damage the grooves. Stick to the blue ones with the plaster interior.

What you have is an Indestructible cylinder. And if it doesn't say 4M on the end, DON'T play it on an Amberola....

The artist isn't the '1431. Band' -- the cylinder is catalog number 1431, and it is a 'Band' selection. The specific artist was often de-emphasized back in the days before the 'star' system of celebrity entertainers was fully developed in the recording industry. The core of the record is paper. Are the letters on the title end raised or impressed into the celluloid?.

The two minute Indestructible cylinders did not indicate they were two minute on the end of the cylinder. The four minute Indestructible cylinders have "4 M" on the title end.

nothing = 2 min
4 M = 4 minute

Jerry Blais

Per the new Indestructible Cylinder Discography available form Mainspring Press, it's a 2 minute cylinder, band unidentified. Released November, 1910.

Hope this helps.

Sean

There you go! That would rule out the letters being raised on the title end.

My Indestructible reference lists the "Indestructible Military Band" as the artist on 1431, whoever they were

Hi.
Thank you for the quick responses. I thought 1431 was a funny name for a band!

The cylinder is very well made. I am more used to the Amberolas with the cracked and chipping plaster.


Kevin

Unfortunately Indestructibles aren't without their own problems too. These tend to shrink lengthways, which throws the TPI out, which in turn can cause the stylus to jump a groove because the feed screw & groove no longer match. Both 2 & 4 minute Indestructibles can suffer from shrinkage, but the effects are generally more noticable on 4 minute cylinders due to the grooves being closer together.