The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

This Craigslist Post is well written, informative and accurate. A little too much truth in advertising, but amusing. Gave him an A+ for ingenuity.


Edison Phonograph Burled Oak (newtown, ohio)

Edison Diamond Disk player. It's a Model C-19, "Chippendale" introduced in 1919 (the '09 date is the patent, not its manufacture date) and sold into 1927. It was the most consistent seller in Edison's stable of DD players, and so they're relatively common. They were expensive in their day, ranging close to $300 (you could buy a new Model T Ford car for just $100 more). DDs have a great sound. The iconic, fat records had very high quality sound reproduction for the era, quite possibly the best available, though the music tended to be schlocky because Edison had to like it, and he was a shmengie who would have loved Lawrence Welk. That helps to explain why nothing with music on it bears his name today, even though he invented the whole industry.

I happen to think they're wonderful machines (I used to have one). The cabinets are graceful, the records sound great (though you may have to play ten to hear one you like), and the reproducer (the part with the needle) has a jewel point that generally lasts forever.

An A+ indeed. Wouldn't it be nice if every listing was so forthright!

I have 100 or so Diamond Discs. About a half dozen are marked as possible demonstration examples to play for guests. The rest are for only in private during those really, really maudlin moments.

Clay

A very nice way of listing a machine. I will honestly say though, I like Edison arrangements the best even on the mundane music, The instruments, and musicians have a more natural talented sound, and nothing sounds forced, violins sound like they are played naturally, the sound effects, and traps are super. Victor and Columbia arrangements of everything sounds, for lack of a better word cartoonish, and lacking, the vocals have a hollow horn sound, no clarity in the upper frequency response, with the exception of Harry Lauder, his records sound the best of all acoustic Victors. I heard that when they recorded Caruso they put cotton in the horn so he would not shatter the recording diaphragm! I much like the sound quality though on Cameo, they sound pretty good, and Brusnwick has a good sound too. I though do believe that lateral records had to be limited in the upper range, because the steel needles would have obliterated them and caused more noise. I have never been able to stomach Berliner records, they hurt my ears.