[Phono-L] RE: What is this?

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I once owned a very tired LP console. Mine was just the smallest model. The 
quality of cabinetry workmanship was not anywhere near what it was on the 
earlier machines. Many little pieces from the legs had fallen off, because the 
legs were not solid, but merely glued together things. If the machines have 
been exposed to drastic temperature changes, high humidity, or both, the legs 
will come apart. 
 
I also own a very late C-19, one from the very end of the C-19's production 
run, and it is much lighter than my early C-19, though the later machine still 
looks very nice, and has the original grille cloth. I think the company was 
definitely cutting corners on the cabinetry of their products toward the end, 
which would be understandable, since they were fighting for survival in a 
disintergrating business climate.
 
Randy Minor
 
 
-Original Message-
From: esrobe...@comcast.net
To: phono-l@oldcrank.org
Sent: Sat, 9 Dec 2006 10:45 AM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] RE: What is this?


All I know is that the strange accessory in the first 3 pictures, which appears 
to be holding the lid open (in the upper right hand corner), is the removable 
piece of a guitar stand upon which the body of the guitar would generally sit. 
(See 
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Musicians-Friend-Tubular-Guitar-Stand?sku=450819
 for pic.) I hope it's not actually holding the lid open -- the part that's in 
contact with the soft wood of the lid is hard steel with a blunt edge. 
 
Very cool item to see on eBay, though. Thanks, Randy! 
 
-Robert 
 
 
- Original Message - From:  
Subject: [Phono-L] RE: What is this? 
> An interesting item is on ebay. The item is listed as an "Edison > Laboratory 
> Model Phonograph." The phonograph looks a lot like a Long-Play console, 
> except something appears to be missing. 
> ebay # 320059026033 
> 
> Randy Minor 
 
___ 
Phono-L mailing list 
Phono-L@oldcrank.org 
 
Phono-L Archive 
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/ 
 
Support Phono-L 
http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank 

Check out the new AOL.  Most comprehensive set of free safety and security 
tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free 
AOL Mail and more.

[Phono-L] Wanted: Edison DD double reproducer holder

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Didn't the LP machines have holders for three reproducers ? 
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Wanted: Edison DD double reproducer holder

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I had three reproducers with the LP machine I owned: a standard one, an LP  
one, and an Edisonic one. I guess one of them had to be mounted on the machine, 
 and the holders were for the other two which were not being used at any  
given time. I just had my 54th birthday, and memory is becoming increasingly  
unreliable.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] RE: What is this?

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, all,
 
An interesting item is on ebay. The item is listed as an "Edison  Laboratory 
Model Phonograph." The phonograph looks a lot like a Long-Play  console, 
except something appears to be missing.
 
ebay # 320059026033
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Shipping charges -- a new pricing scheme

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Inflating shipping charges is an old trick. Ebay  sellers have been doing it 
for years.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Phono-L and Censorship

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 9/18/2006 5:25:17 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
lo...@oldcrank.com writes:

Since  Randy is still among the living, I'll just say "All Hail   
Columbia!"


I was merely using that as an example. I once saw a very  nice upright 
Graphonola(sp) that I would like to own, even now.  The bottom line is, I have 
a 
weakness for any old phonograph, and would try to  save any of them from sad 
fates. 
 
My wife drags me to a local craft store periodically. This store has a book  
section. One book on "Shabby Cottage" furniture has a gutted Victrola on  the 
cover that has been painted white and "distressed." 
 
Ugh.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] removal from list

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hey! Liberals, (i.e. non-Republicans,) can be Edison fans too! I never went  
for those primitive, steel-needle contraptions.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Phono-L and Censorship

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Edison stuck to the mores, business models, and audience awareness of the  
late 19th century far too long. He came from an time when the people who  built 
the best machines, for the best prices, got the most business. He relied  way 
too much on word of mouth, and skimped on advertising. 
 
Edison also inexplicably missed out on the fact that from 1900 on,  American 
cities boomed, and the rural audience that had been so loyal  to him began its 
long, slow decline that continues to this day. Victor  seized the moment. 
They advertised heavily, and often, in large, urban-oriented  publications. To 
see one of Victor's lavish, colorful spreads in a magazine  from that era 
almost 
makes an Edison fan wince. Victor also invented the  "star" system, with 
their long-term contracts. Edison thought it was better  to get a half-dozen of 
the great artists' best titles, and not be  "stuck" with paying them any more 
money for "lesser material."
 
It is fitting that one of the world's most famous trademarks, (Nipper,) has  
a gramophone painted over an Edison cylinder machine, and that one of the  
most famous Edison advertising pieces has two toothless geezers singing along  
with a cylinder machine.
 
DISCLAIMER!
 
To all of you toothless geezers out there. Please do not take offense. I am  
approaching geezerdom at an ever accelerating pace, and my dentist takes more 
of  my money every year.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] P.S. Wikipedia sucks.

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Bad news about good ol' Wikipedia.  They just lost my business  permanently 
with the following quote, from their entry for Fred  Gaisberg:
 
 
Oh, come now. You should be used to inaccuracies about phonographic  history 
being found in data sources aimed at the general public. You should  approach 
all information sources with the same skepticism and care  one needs when 
making an important purchase. Caveat Emptor applies to  the world of ideas as 
much 
as it does to the world of consumerism. Puttin' it in  print don't make it so.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Phono-L and Censorship

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Towards the end of the Edison's company's days, the "Old  Man" grudgingly let 
his son take a more active role in record production.  That is why the late 
Diamond Disks have some of the best music Edison ever  released. The selections 
were "up to date," and wonderfully recorded.  Edison should have stepped 
aside sooner. Alas, he was not willing to do so until  it was too late to save 
the 
company.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] The Elusive Edison Victrola

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hey. It was fun, and all for the good of the cause.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Need your help

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 8/6/2006 3:40:57 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
bigal1...@aol.com writes:

I sent  an e-mail to Dennis at Apsco
but he never replied.


>From my own very personal experience, this may be a good thing. Sorry. I  
don't like to be ugly, but when it comes to APSCO, Caveat Emptor.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Need your help

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

As someone else mentioned. George Vollema (Great Lakes Antique Phonograph),  
is very helpful, and friendly too. He went to great lengths to get me a  small 
part for a C19 record cabinet. He even sent me a picture of the part, to  
make sure we were talking about the same piece.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Edison Royal Purple Question

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I have "Whistling Coon," on two diamond disks. The DD # is  50478-L. The 
sketch was recorded by Edward Meeker and the Empire vaudeville  Company. This 
is 
one of the most blatantly racist "coon" records ever released.  I've played it 
for people, but I asked them to  take the sketch for what it is, a historical 
artifact, and not  get mad at the record, or me.
 
The flip side on Diamond Disks (50478-R,)  was "The Colored Recruits."  That 
sketch was recorded by Golden and Heins (with Band). Both selections  were WW 
1-based minstrel sketches. I doubt seriously that they were ever  released as 
Royal Purples.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 4/13/2006 3:49:58 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
steve_nor...@msn.com writes:

This is  very interesting, Edison was offered the Victor Trademark first, 
perhaps  he should have used it after all.


I have read that if you view the original painting from the correct angle,  
faint images of  the original cylinder machine depicted in the painting can  
still be seen. This may be a myth, but it is a neat story. Edison missed a  
golden opportunity once again.
 
Another opportunity he missed was the development of the vacuum  tube. Edison 
discovered that if a second element, or filament was placed  inside a light 
bulb, electrons would pass between them. (This would result  in a monode 
becoming a diode.) He failed to see the implications of his  discovery. 
However, the 
basic principle behind the vacuum tube is unchanged to  this day, and is 
still called "The Edison Effect." 
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Trademarks and Ad Campaigns

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 4/13/2006 6:33:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
a...@popyrus.com writes:

I think  the best Edison trademark was the signature -- a word worth a 
thousand  pictures.


Agreed!

[Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 4/13/2006 9:11:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
esrobe...@hotmail.com writes:

I  know it's still called the "Edison Effect",
but isn't the patent Thom's as  well?


That I do not know. I do know that Lee De Forest, the developer of the  
Audion, which was the first "practical" vacuum tube to see widespread  use, is 
considered by most early radio buffs to be the "father" of radio as we  know 
it, 
perhaps more so than Marconi, because the Audion brought  electrically 
amplified radio transmission, reception, and reproduction so  much closer to 
the 
masses.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Edison and the Tube/bragging on Steve Medved.(Now Tesla and Steve)

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Tesla was another nemesis of Edison. He developed A/C current as an  
alternative to Edison's safer, but less efficient, and  more problematic DC 
systems. 
Tesla, a native Serb, developed the idea  of stepping up voltages to very high 
levels for transmission, and then stepping  them down again for domestic use. 
Edison thought this was very dangerous.  Remember, this was all brand new 
technology at the time, technology we now take  for granted.
 
Edison's system required huge cables that carried lower voltages, at  high 
amperages. Tesla's system was just the opposite. Transmission of power over  
long distances was also much harder with Edison's D/C system. Look at the  
battery cables on your car, which carry 12 volts, and then look at the cord  on 
a 
small household appliance which operates at 120 volts to get an  idea of the 
difference.
 
This battle was waged as an all-out war between the backers of the  
Tesla/Westinghouse companies, and the Edison companies. Edison's  people 
resorted to 
tactics that would probably land them in jail  today. Edison's men assembled 
galleries of  reporters, shoved stray dogs they'd bought from the neighborhood  
children out on to a large metal plate, and then "hit the juice." The  
resulting paroxysms of the dying animals, and malodorous smell of burning fur  
gave 
more than one observer doubts about the safety of the Tesla/Westinghouse  
system, because if one of the step-down transformers shorted out, an  
unsuspecting 
homeowner could reach to turn on a light bulb, and become one  himself. 
 
Edison lost out, and the A/C systems we now take for granted covered the  
country. However, true to form, Edison clung stubbornly to his DC system, and  
some parts of the Edison Phonograph Works still used D/C power until they were  
shut down in 1929.
 
As for Steve Medved, he is a wonderfully knowledgeable and helpful person.  
He is a true enthusiast who likes sharing information as much as he enjoys  
acquiring it. I am sure that if a reproducer can be made to sing, he is the  
one 
to help it find its voice. 
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Edison and the Tube/bragging on Steve Medved.(NowTesla and Steve)

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

But regardless, all of the 
AC ins and outs were far beyond  Edison's capability, so he just stuck with 
his DC stations. They hung on for  many years in some cities.

I have never heard this before, but I can see how it might  be possible. 
However, Edison had a way of "cutting to the chase" with  "complex" questions. 
For 
example, he built models of his power systems that used  water instead of 
electricity. Pumps represented power stations, pipes  represented power lines, 
valves represented transformers, etc. 
 
The important work of many geniuses is often done in their early years.  
Almost all of Einstein's most important work was done before he was 35. He 
spent  
the rest of his life trying to explain what he'd done to others, and to 
himself.  The fact that Edison was still a "player" in the phonograph field 50 
years 
after  he handed the famous drawing to Kreusi (sp?) is a testament to his 
greatness,  resourcefulness, and tenacity.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 4/11/2006 6:18:15 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
esrobe...@hotmail.com writes:

If you  want slam,
Credenza.  If you want the performers in the room with you,  Edisonic.


When did J. Gordon Holt and Harry Pearson enter this discussion? 
(If I have to take the "Audiophile" system, I'd rather have some Von  
Schweikert speakers. Albert is a very nice man, and a top-notch designer  too.)
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I was so distracted by the list of megabuck goodies mentioned that I  forgot 
to weigh in on the original question. In my totally objective opinion,  (?) an 
Edison Lab model, (C-250, C-19, W-250, etc.), will spank any other  acoustic 
phonograph ever made, and that includes the wooden horn equipped  cylinder 
machines that older collectors cherish so dearly.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 I'd give just about anything to hear some low-key store-stock electrical
DD's on a C-250.  *sigh*
 
They sound  very, very nice. Look for something by the "Edisongsters," if you 
want to hear a late, electrically recorded DD that is not a Fox Trot, but still 
very much "of the period."
 
Randy
 
-Original Message-
From: Robert Wright 
To: Antique Phonograph List 
Sent: Tue, 11 Apr 2006 23:29:55 -0500
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph


I'd give just about anything to hear some low-key store-stock electrical
DD's on a C-250.  *sigh*

r.


- Original Message -
From: 
To: 
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 9:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph


> I was so distracted by the list of megabuck goodies mentioned that I
forgot
> to weigh in on the original question. In my totally objective opinion,
(?) an
> Edison Lab model, (C-250, C-19, W-250, etc.), will spank any other
acoustic
> phonograph ever made, and that includes the wooden horn equipped  cylinder
> machines that older collectors cherish so dearly.
>
> Randy
> ___
> Phono-L mailing list
> Phono-L@oldcrank.org
>
> Phono-L Archive
> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/
>
> Support Phono-L
> http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank
>
___
Phono-L mailing list
Phono-L@oldcrank.org

Phono-L Archive
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/

Support Phono-L
http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank

[Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Friends, we all have our horror stories. I certainly have mine. However, 
besmirching the deceased in this way, even if they deserve it is, in my humble 
opinion, poor form, and a waste of time.  I respectfully suggest that you have 
someone who is still around rebuild (re-rebuild?) your reproducers, and move 
on. Life is too short for unnecessary, and ultimately pointless acrimony.
 
-Original Message-
From: Dan Kjeldgaard 
To: Antique Phonograph List 
Sent: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 02:06:53 -0400
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph


Not me with the quote, but someone who is very well known in the phono 
supply
world.  My own
experience with Bob showed me that he was grossly egotistical and make
impossible claims, such as the molecular reconstitution of metal with
chemicals


- Original Message - 
From: "Peter Fraser" 
To: "Antique Phonograph List" 
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 1:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph


> no, you're not very charitable at all, are you.
>
> On Apr 11, 2006, at 9:05 PM, Dan Kjeldgaard wrote:
>
>> Well, after receiving garbage from the man, complaining about it,
>> and being
>> verbally abused over the phone (four times, with him slamming down
>> the phone each time) , that was the end of the man's reputation with me.
>> "A
>> bitter  old cripple; a VERY bitter old cripple" was the opinion given me
>> by
>> a person well known in our hobby, afterward.  Not charitable, so I won't
>> mention the name.

___
Phono-L mailing list
Phono-L@oldcrank.org

Phono-L Archive
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/

Support Phono-L
http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank

[Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Have fun, Loran. Leave the laptop at home.
 
Randy 
 
-Original Message-
From: Loran T. Hughes 
To: Antique Phonograph List 
Sent: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 07:20:41 -0700
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Best sounding Phonograph


OK Folks, let's remember to keep the list civil.

The wife and I are off to Denver this afternoon to visit with our  
Colorado phono friends. If I decide not to take my laptop along, I'll  
'see' you all in a week.

Loran
___
Phono-L mailing list
Phono-L@oldcrank.org

Phono-L Archive
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/

Support Phono-L
http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank

[Phono-L] Victrola VE 15-1: Electrola Hyperion

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

You folks are using terms that might confuse some readers, if they were not  
versed in terms that are still heard, but used with slightly different  
meanings. In a modern context, a "dynamic" speaker is any speaker that  uses a 
cone, 
a permanent magnet, and a voice coil. Among collectors of  audio gear from 
the so-called "Golden Age" of Hi-Fi, dynamic speakers with  large, permanent, 
alnico magnets are very desirable. Many, if not most of  those speakers were 
shipped off to the pacific rim, while the  Japanese sold us rack-system junk.
 
 I think the speakers you are referring to as being "dynamic" speakers  are 
now referred to as "Electro-dynamic" speakers, or "Field coil" speakers.  They 
use a magnet that is powered by an external power supply. This allows  those 
speakers to have an enormous advantage in efficiency, especially  woofers, 
which require long, heavy throws of the voice coils. 
 
Amplifiers used with "dynamic" speakers have to generate all of the power  
required to move the cones in modern dynamic speaker systems. That  is one of 
the reasons I have a dedicated circuit for my stereo. I use  two stereo 
amplifiers that are large enough, if driven to full  power, as a pair, to trip 
a 15 
amp circuit breaker in my house's main fuse  panel.
 
Field coil speakers do not need amplifiers with that kind of power. They  
require amplifiers that are only powerful enough to excite, or modulate the  
magnetic field that is generated by the power supply. I have not run the  
numbers, 
but I would guess that this can mean the difference between a speaker  
needing 5 watts for a given SPL (sound pressure level), and 500 watts.
 
Field coil speakers were abandoned, mostly because they were expensive to  
make, and relatively complicated. As permanent magnet technology improved, 
field 
 coil speakers were phased out. However, a small, but highly vocal, and 
dedicated  fringe of modern Audiophiles still seek out old field coil speakers, 
and 
get a  kick out of what those speakers can do with miniscule amounts of 
amplifier  power. They are especially popular with fans of amplifiers that used 
 
single-ended, triode output tubes, like 2A3's 300B's, etc.
 
I believe there is one company left in the world that makes uses  
high-quality, field-coil drivers. I think it is a French company, but I'm  not 
sure. 
Google it, if you are curious.
 
One easy way to spot a field coil speaker is to look at the number of wires  
going to the unit. If there are more than four wires connected to the speaker, 
 it is probably a field coil unit.
 
Randy Minor
 

[Phono-L] toy talking machine

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I will put the machine on ebay as soon as I can do a proper write-up on it. 
That shouldn't take long, because I don't know much about the machine, other 
than what I have learned here, on the list. I will let the pictures speak for 
themselves. The auction will start for a penny, with no reserve, so we shall 
see where it goes.
 
Thanks for the information.
 
Randy Minor
 
-Original Message-
From: Steven Medved 
To: phono-l@oldcrank.org
Sent: Sun, 26 Feb 2006 23:23:28 -0500
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] toy talking machine


Hi Randy,

This looks like the 1-2 type A.   22,673 were shipped, the final one, type 
C,  had the pot metal Exhibition on it.   I am looking in the Victor Data 
Book I did not know Victor made this toy phono until you asked and I looked 
it up, if you eBay it let me know so I can see what it sells for.

Steve


>Hello to all:
>
>I will soon be selling a little toy, wind-up disc machine that my  wife
>bought almost 30 years ago. It is a cute thing, that is painted an  
>off-white
>color, and has colorful scenes of children playing on it.
>
>I have never paid much attention to it. However, we are trying to downsize
>our collection of "stuff," and my wife decided this machine could go.  I 
>lifted
>the platter off of the machine, and saw an I. D. tag with the following
>letters and numbers,  V V 1-2  5548. Is this thing an old Victor  toy 
>machine? I
>am an Edison guy, and I know only a little about  Victors. If Victor made 
>toy
>machines, I know nothing about them.
>
>Thanks in advance for any information you folks might provide.
>
>Randy Minor
>___
>Phono-L mailing list
>Phono-L@oldcrank.org
>
>Phono-L Archive
>http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/


___
Phono-L mailing list
Phono-L@oldcrank.org

Phono-L Archive
http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/

[Phono-L] toy talking machine

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 This is like the one we have, with a few small differences. On ours, the 
turntable felt is green, but appears to be original. The crank on ours is 
painted black. Our machine is missing the original reproducer too. It has a 
later looking reproducer that is made from an off-white metal , with a red, 
plastic cover over the diaphram. 
 
-Original Message-
From: msprin...@juno.com 
To: phono-l@oldcrank.org
Cc: phono-l@oldcrank.org
Sent: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 05:05:26 GMT
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] toy talking machine


Hi Randy -
Check this link to see my Victor 1-2 and see if it looks like yours... You can 
read about them and see advertisements on the page, and click the buttons on 
the 
bottom of the slide show to look at all the views:
http://www.littlewonderrecords.com/bubble-book-phonograph.html
Best,
Merle

-- diamondisk...@aol.com wrote:
Hello to all:
 
I will soon be selling a little toy, wind-up disc machine that my  wife 
bought almost 30 years ago. It is a cute thing, that is painted an  off-white 
color, and has colorful scenes of children playing on it. 
 
I have never paid much attention to it. However, we are trying to downsize  
our collection of "stuff," and my wife decided this machine could go.  I lifted 
the platter off of the machine, and saw an I. D. tag with the following  
letters and numbers,  V V 1-2  5548. Is this thing an old Victor  toy machine? 
I 

am an Edison guy, and I know only a little about  Victors. If Victor made toy 
machines, I know nothing about them.
 
Thanks in advance for any information you folks might provide.
 
Randy Minor
___
Phono-L mailing list
Phono-L@oldcrank.org

Phono-L Archive
http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/

___
Phono-L mailing list
Phono-L@oldcrank.org

Phono-L Archive
http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/

[Phono-L] High priced records

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Is there any way we can bid this obscure LP up to  $1,000,000,000,000.01, and 
make the auction implode? 
 
Though I am far from an expert, I am familiar with many of opera's big  
names. Who is the lady on this record? Why does the  seller think the record is 
so 
special? Is the  record special because it is "33 inches," as the ad states?
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Is this what I think it is?

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Thanks for the information, George. Since I am a Virginian, it is nice to  
know that a Virginia company played some role in the early years of the  
phonograph.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Idelia SOLD

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 2/11/2006 5:32:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
lo...@oldcrank.com writes:

Sick?  Naw. It's called an "auction." If someone is willing to pay  
that  price and they're happy, more power to 'em.


I agree that it is "sick." My wife identified this sickness, and its  
symptoms, about 30 years ago. She named this affliction, "Phonograph Fever." I  
had a 
virulent case of it for many years. I now enjoy periods of remission, but  
suffer periodic relapses. These relapses often follow my typing in the  word, 
"Edison" on ebay, or reading postings on this list.
 
As far as I know, the only recognized, permanent cures are bankruptcy,  
and/or death.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Concert cylinders

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Simply stated, the large cylinders allowed the grooves to speed by under  the 
stylus more quickly, and therefore, generate more energy, or volume. This  
may have allowed for a slightly wider bandwidth as well, but I think the main  
advantage was greater volume. 
 
Am I right, folks?
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Idelia SOLD

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 2/11/2006 9:02:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
agw1...@aol.com writes:

Naw!  Bankruptcy won't stop 'em. Just gives 'em a fresh start. (Been  through 
 
it.)


Ah. How obvious! I never thought of it that way.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Is this what I think it is?

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, folks.
 
There is a record cabinet listed on ebay as being "Post 1950." However, the  
seller only has two feedbacks, and sounds inexperienced. After looking  at the 
pictures, I would be on my way, in my truck, to look at the cabinet  more 
closely, instead of making a post here.
 
Look at the larger pictures. Look at the records, the hardware, and  the 
paper strip under the records. The ad also says there is an "antique  
phonograph" 
available that is for sale separately. 
 
Is this an Edison Diamond disk record cabinet?
 
ebay # 7389977556
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Packing Disaster - Take a look

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 2/4/2006 7:22:11 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
rvu...@comcast.net writes:

offer to  pay extra for professional 
packaging if necessary.


I think this is very good advice. Of course, a professional packaging  
service can't be expected to disassemble the machine, but a reliable seller  of 
machines like this one should know that the heavy stuff, (metal),  needed to be 
separated from the lighter stuff, like wood, and glass. 
 
I agree also that the seller's work should be examined before we pile on  
UPS. They have no way of knowing what is in a box. Something drastic happened 
to  
the package, obviously, but the results would not have been so catastrophic 
for  many of the items UPS handles.
 
Aren't there companies that specialize in shipping valuable antiques? I  have 
no experience with them, or any knowledge of what this machine was worth,  
before its final voyage, but having valuable, irreplaceable artifacts  like 
this 
machine shipped that way might be an option to ponder, when  one considers 
the results of this misadventure.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Enough!

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 2/3/2006 11:51:50 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
phonost...@aol.com writes:

"Wouldn't it be fun" if each month Phono Friends of the groups picked  a  
topic for discussion? There are so many to choose from,,, like  phonos, phono 
 
keys, records, accessories, books, postcards, related  postal stamps, paper  
collectibles, Nipper and collector  stories


This is a nice idea.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] More on Frick's Freaks...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 2/2/2006 7:21:42 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
clockworkh...@aol.com writes:

Al  Sefl
At an age where he identifies with dull  things...


I have heard far too many knowledgeable people speak of you very  
respectfully to believe this.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] More on Frick's Freaks...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 2/2/2006 7:44:13 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
taediso...@aol.com writes:

EDISON  DIAMOND DISC STYLUS SECONDS: Factory seconds. Sound excellent, just   
like #717 [new stylus] but record wear is above normal. We install,  $19.95." 
 


I wonder if he put one of those in the reproducer he sold me. If he  did, the 
stylus must have been a factory third, or something that  rhymes with that.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Frick's Freak Alert...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 2/2/2006 8:23:52 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
john9...@pacbell.net writes:

Even at  my tender young age of almost 45 I remember Frick's Freaks. I got my 
first  phono, a mahogany Victrola VI with no nnedle bar screw and broken 
balance leaf  springs. I sent it to him for work, along with the barel which 
had a 
broken  spring. It came back working perfectly, so I was lucky, I  guess!



Maybe he was pondering his rendezvous with St. Peter by then.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] the "other" list

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I too am a former member of the "other list." The "hoops" were extensive. I  
believe the moderator wanted a phone number that could be confirmed by looking 
 in a phone book. I am not sure why. I told the moderator that I worked in a  
maximum security prison, with gang-bangers, hit men, sex offenders, drug  
dealers, carjackers etc., and that I, like most people in my line of work,  
have 
an unlisted phone number.
 
I was accepted, finally, as a member on the other list. However, I  once made 
the horrible mistake of teasing one of the List's prima donna posters,  a 
self-appointed authority on just about everything to do with phonographs, new  
or 
old. What I said was really pretty mild, or so I thought.
 
I was wrong. This Poo Bah's sycophants descended on me, with the vengeance  
of harpies. I finally e-mailed the great Poo Bah to apologize. It turned out  
that he had taken what I said in stride. He, unlike his legion of vitriolic  
flunkies, had taken my gentle tweak just fine. 
 
At the time, I was a member of both "lists." I found myself saying less and  
less on the other list. I just didn't have anything to say to those folks. 
When  my wife and I consolidated our ISP accounts, I never bothered to inform 
the 
 guardians of the other list. I just sent Loran an e-mail, and he  switched 
things over to my new e-mail address on this list.
 
There is not as much chatter on Phono-L as on the other list, but  I think 
just as much gets said. The tone on phono-L is much more collegial,  and the 
members more helpful. I have managed to survive without access to the  vast 
store 
of knowledge displayed by certain members of the other list.
 
Not everyone over there was unpleasant, but a number of people were, and  
they did not hesitate to chime in, and flame anyone who questioned what they  
said, or disagreed with their pronouncements. I don't miss them at all.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Enough!

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

The adults always show up, sooner or later...
 
Okay. I promise to be good, or at least better. 
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Old handcrank thing

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

That tin foil machine in Europe went north of 31 large. Strong.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Frick's Freak Alert...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 2/2/2006 6:22:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
clockworkh...@aol.com writes:

Once  upon a time there was a phonograph parts dealer named Karl  Frick in  
Santa Barbara who was less than accurate in his "reproduction"   parts


His "NOS" parts weren't that good either. Many years ago, I paid $145, I  
think, for what was supposed to be an NOS Edisonic reproducer. I had never seen 
 
an Edisonic anything, but From Tinfoil to Stereo mentioned them, and  
commented on their greatly increased volume over the Standard DD  reproducer.
 
At that time, $145 was a little more than a weeks pay for me, but my  wife 
allowed me to send my money off to California. When I received the  reproducer, 
I opened it eagerly. When I removed the reproducer from its box, I  was rather 
dubious about it. My stereo cartridge tracked at 1.25 grams. The  weight on 
the reproducer looked incredibly large, and heavy. Oh well. FTTS  couldn't be 
wrong...right? 
 
I put on one of my favorite fox trots, and lowered the reproducer onto the  
record. (Yeah, yeah, I know. Rookie mistake # 2). I watched the grooves of my  
beloved record turn grey, as this monster plowed through them. The sound was  
horrible. I lifted the thing off of the record, but not before the first 30  
seconds or so of my record was turned into a hissy mess. 
 
I sent Mr. Frick a letter, in which I torched him pretty thoroughly. If he  
had tested the reproducer, which he sold to me at what I know now was  an 
exorbitant price for the time, he must have known that the  stylus, or some 
other 
part of the unit was defective. He wanted me to send the  reproducer back, and 
"let him look at it." I decided against doing so, because I  figured he would 
keep my money, and my boat anchor of a reproducer. At least the  box was nice.
 
It was many years before I tried an Edisonic reproducer again, and I used a  
junk record to test it. The sound was quite good, but I still didn't  use the 
reproducer regularly, because of the weight.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] let us not forget, long version

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I remember that record, and it went up quickly to some stupendous  price, way 
up in the thousands of dollars. The copy offered for sale was one of  only a 
few copies known to exist. Wasn't the auction canceled for some  reason?
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Stormy Weather on Jubilee (was Let Us Not Forget)

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 1/23/2006 7:44:11 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
taediso...@aol.com writes:

He  relisted it but for  whatever 
reason the previous bidders never came  back and it simply died a slow  death.


Didn't the record go up to almost $30,000, or was that a dream?
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Stormy Weather on Jubilee (was Let Us Not Forget)

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 1/25/2006 5:19:44 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
phonofo...@aol.com writes:

If  memory serves me correctly it was bid up to about $19,000 before it was  
removed.


I stand corrected. I have trouble remembering numbers that big.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] another example....

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Very, very few cracked BA's with pops and clicks, but without the original  
lid are worth that much to me, but...what do I know? All the seller  needs are 
two fools to fight over it.
 
Check out this one, which has over a week to go.
 
ebay # 6596991998
 
Randy

[Phono-L] "special" cylinders

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, all:
 
Is this what Lambert cylinders in decent playing condition bring? The  seller 
mentions that the cylinder probably needs to be  reamed. Can Lambert 
cylinders be reamed like BA's? 
 
Even though I have owned Edison machines and records for almost  30 years, my 
phonograph world is small, and Lamberts have not been  a part of it. I'm 
sorry if my question seems naive.
 
ebay # 6595670718
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] "special" cylinders

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 1/16/2006 1:41:25 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
mdsor...@aol.com writes:

I must say that in this particular case, this black lambert  Uncle Josh 
cylinder was a very rare title,


I didn't know there was such a thing as a rare Uncle Josh title. (Just  
kidding.) Many modern-day hobbyists find his famous laughs irritating,  after 
listening to a couple of his records. 
 
I happen to like him. I like the glimpses he gives into the rural, bygone  
America of my grandparents, who got married shortly after 1900. Uncle  Josh can 
also be downright funny, if you give him a chance, and use your  imagination a 
little. 
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] "special" cylinders

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 1/16/2006 1:41:25 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
mdsor...@aol.com writes:

two  people really wanted that cylinder (actually 3--I wish I could have won  
it!).


I've been told by experienced ebay sellers that it takes at least 3 bidders  
to really run up the price of an item.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] victor machine

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/14/2006 9:09:50 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
m...@oldcranky.com writes:

They  ain't gonna let you put that Porsche engine in a   
Volkswagen
Porsche, in an misguided attempt to build an "affordable" Porsche  to sell in 
Americans, put a Volkswagen engine in a Porsche, and the  result was a rather 
slow, clattery little critter called a 914. I worked in  a VW dealer for 7 
years, and in a Porsche dealer for another 8 years. We  called 914 owners, 
"nickel-millionaires."
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Electric motor needed

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

There is another list, which is devoted to the care and repair of later  
phonographs, and their various motors, and mechanisms. I couldn't  find the 
other 
list in a Google search, but I know Greg Bogantz, whom  I think is a former 
RCA engineer, contributes to it.
 
Randy 

[Phono-L] Electric motor needed

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 12/27/2005 12:47:49 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
aph4...@aol.com writes:

I think  you are talking about _electr...@yahoogroups.com_  
(mailto:electr...@yahoogroups.com) 
---Art  Heller


Yes, that sounds like the list to which I referred. I typed in "Electrola  
L." I was close. Does that count?
 
Randy

[Phono-L] New Member

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, Ronnie:
 
You will find two differences between this list and, well...some other  
"discussion" groups on the web. There is not as much "chatter," on  Phono-L as 
there is on some other lists, but when people do make, or  respond to comments, 
those comments are intended to raise, or help spread  knowledge about 
interesting topics related to phonographs. There are no flaming  prima donnas 
on here. 
Our members are as pleasant, and collegial, as any group  of people you will 
find, and they are extremely knowledgeable about  phonographs. If no one on 
this 
list can answer a question related  to antique phonographs, the answer is 
probably unknown, or impossible to  discern. Our moderator, Loran Hughes, is a 
first-class guy, who does his job  wonderfully. 
 
Welcome to Phono-L.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Electric motor needed

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 12/27/2005 12:21:38 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
lhera...@bu.edu writes:

It's the  Electrola list, to which I posted the same request.  I am just
trying  to maximize chances of finding the motor since I already did  the
electronics in this machine


I did not mean to rule out the chance that someone here would be  able to 
help you. Far from it. One never knows from where help might come!
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Edison DD Value Question

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

A number of us were watching that auction, Bruce. I would like to know the  
answer too. I have 21 Edison 52,000 series records, but not that one. 
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Electric motor needed

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 12/27/2005 10:12:49 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
aph4...@aol.com writes:

Only  with hand grenades.


Ouch!

[Phono-L] William and Mary

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I was going to suggest this possible avenue of help myself. Radio  collectors 
have a large network of suppliers and support groups who are  great sources 
for products and information phono collectors can use  also.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] William and Mary

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, David:
 
Clearly, all of us "feel your pain." I know I do, because I  have a W-250 
that is my favorite machine. I haven't seen this many  responses to any 
question 
posted on this list in a very long time. 
 
The bottom line is that if you do some searching, you should be able to  
match the grille-cloth material very closely, and install it in a way that will 
 
match the original appearance of your machine quite well. No, it won't be  
"original" ever again, but you will be repairing a very old, and  marvelous 
machine, one that has survived for a very long time. With some  effort, I am 
sure 
you can preserve it in a way that will allow your W-250 to be  appreciated by 
those who will follow us as caretakers of these wonderful  contraptions.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Edison Grill Cloth

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 11/10/2005 10:49:51 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
maxbu...@sigecom.net writes:

In all  the Edison Disc machines I've had over the years, including the 
Edisonics,  the ones with the original cloth had a diamond pattern in the  
cloth.


This is true for the later DD machines, but not the earlier ones I have  seen 
that had remnants of their original grille cloth.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] William and Mary

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 11/10/2005 1:40:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
lo...@oldcrank.com writes:

Phono-L  strips attachments (including photos) off messages to prevent   
anything malicious coming through. So it is not possible to attach   
photos. Currently, you'll need to upload the photo to a web site,   
then provide a link


Perhaps you could contact individual members who think they can help, and  
send photo attachments that way.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Question reg. Edison

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

My early, Mahogany C-19 had frayed remnants of a thin, maroon  material. The 
only C-250 I've had was oak, which used a golden colored  cloth.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] William and Mary

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

There were remnants of the original grille cloth left on the grille of my  
W-250, and it appeared to be a brown/beige-like color, that  was lightweight 
silk, or a similar material.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Adam C-450

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Well those poor ebayers finally sold their C-450, on the third try. It  is 
nice to see that someone appreciates the big Edison DD machines, at least a  
little. They sound better than any of those highly-coveted, open-horned dust  
collectors I've ever heard.   
 
Is this price about the going rate for this model? I've never seen one for  
sale before.
 
ebay # 6573764935
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Seeking "Slip-In" Horn Elbow for Victor II

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello:
 
I am not a Victor collector, but many of the folks here are, and I am sure  
they can help you, if anyone can. I just wanted to welcome you to the list. You 
 will not find a nicer, friendlier, and more helpful group of people on the  
Internet than the ones on this list.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] ebay Edison

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, Friends:
 
Does anyone know what this thing might be? Is it home-made?
 
Randy
 
ebay # 6569467734

[Phono-L] ebay Edison

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I'd heard of those, but didn't know if this was one of them or not, because  
the cabinet looked like something that might be from a later time  period.
 
Thanks,
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Edison DD C-450 Adam Rarely seen

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I believe this machine is now making its third pass through ebay, with no  
takers so far. I believe the opening bid the first time around was $1,500. It  
looks like a nice machine, except for the badly crazed finish on the sides.  I 
thought this machine would sell. I guess big DD machines don't bring much,  
unless they are the really early models.
 
Randy 

[Phono-L] Edison DD C-450 Adam Rarely seen

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 10/31/2005 8:46:39 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
lhera...@bu.edu writes:

Everyone  looks for a
bargain even if they are, in the end, willing to pay more or  maybe get
caught up in the bidding and pay more than they would have  originally.


This is why I start all of my auctions at a penny. I haven't been burned  yet.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Record Preservation Question

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I think I remember reading a very extensive, and specific article on this  
topic that was posted on the web by the Library of Congress, or the National  
Archives. Those might be good places to start. Try the LOC first.
 
Randy 

[Phono-L] Record Preservation Question

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 9/27/2005 10:13:11 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
lhera...@bu.edu writes:

I think  too that you will find a lot of references if you search the  78-l
archives.


I think this is where I started the search that led me to  websites which 
contained the information to which I was  referring.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Test

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, Loran. It is always nice to hear from  you.

[Phono-L] the axis of emily post

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

wow, we're gettin' mail from a weapon of mass destruction!

(whose  mama didn't teach him how to say "please")

On Aug 27, 2005, at 2:39 PM,  Morgan Davis wrote:

> Take me off your list.  WMD
 
I thought I missed something. Apparently, I was not alone.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Edison disc needed...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 8/12/2005 12:05:23 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
g...@audio-restoration.com writes:

Hello  all...

For a re-issue project, I need the following Edison disc or a  good transfer 
off 
a really clean copy:-

Are You Lonesome Tonight  (Ray Turk-Lou Handman)
Vaughn de Leath
Edison 52044, mx 11734 (June 13/27)

Can anyone assist with  this or point me in the right direction?



... Graham  Newton


If anyone replies, please contact me off list.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Edison disc needed...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 8/13/2005 12:04:17 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
ediso...@verizon.net writes:

52044  was still acoustical, so doesn't attract the interest of those looking 
for  electric Edisons in the 52000 range.
My copy cost me $2 (but I cannot find  it! )


I know that the early 52,000 disks were still acoustically recorded. The  
difference is obvious between 52,044, and the later disks, in the 52,600 range, 
 
of which I have quite a few. Having said that, the days of clean, late, $2  
Vaughn de Leath Diamond Disks are gone.  Sorry.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] 2nd half of Flea Market Find-Opera Stars

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

I will admit to one of my many flaws. I cannot stand full-length operas,  
unless they have subtitles, and even they can't get me through anything by  
Wagner. However, the history of opera, and especially early operatic  
recordings, 
is fascinating. I am sure your posters are quite striking, and  are a powerful 
window into their era. You are lucky to have them.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Phonographs as an Investment

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, Greg:
 
I cannot speak for the "high-rollers," in the hobby, but from my  
perspective, phonographs have not been a particular good "investment." For  
many years, I 
was a sucker for beautiful, Diamond Disk Laboratory  models. Most of the "Lab 
Models"  I own, or have owned in  the past, are worth little, if any more 
than they were in the  1970's, when I bought most of them. The truly rare 
machines, and more  desirable open-horn machines have appreciated consierably, 
but 
the  "ordinary" phonos have not gone up all that much. 
 
I think ebay is partly responsible for this. Quite a few people, myself  
included, found out that our machines are not as rare as we thought, and  
prices 
have drifted downward for a number of years. My Triumph Model A is a  good 
example of this. For years, I could say I owned the only one I'd ever seen.  
Hah! 
Now, I realize that I just don't get out much.
 
Some of my records are another matter. The more desirable titles and  numbers 
have done quite well, from a "speculator" point of view, but that was  just 
dumb luck.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Phonographs as an Investment

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 8/24/2005 10:15:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
s...@clarphon.com writes:

Entry  level machines (e.g., Amberola 30,  Victrolas:  VV-IV; VV-VI) have  
not 
increased since I started collecting about 15 years  ago.


This means you lost money, if you bought those machines, because of  
inflation. I really took a beating, if one looks at it from that perspective. I 
 had 
fun though.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Edison disc needed...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, Graham:
 
I have a clean copy of 52044, that I think would be fine for your purposes,  
but it is one of thirty-five 52,000 series Diamond Disks I plan to list on  
ebay in the near future. (52,044 is the lowest number of the group.) I need  to 
get fair-market value for the records, but am not out to gouge  anyone.
 
Is there an established price range for this particular record folks?
 
Randy

[Phono-L] The rip-off age?

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 7/24/2005 12:26:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
steve_nor...@msn.com writes:

Most of  the time you are 
better off avoiding dealers and going to an independent  mechanic who often 
has to survive off of his reputation, dealers charge  top price for parts and 
service and are often not  honest.


This is off-topic, but I cannot let this issue go un addressed.  I must 
reluctantly disagree with my good friend, Mr. Medved, on this  question. I 
spent 
(wasted?) 16 years of my life working in  factory-authorized car dealerships as 
a parts salesman, and I do not think his  comments about independent mechanics 
being more honest than dealership-based  ones are fair. I dealt extensively 
with "side-shop," or "shade-tree,"  mechanics, as well as dealership prima 
donnas who, in some cases, had  6-figure incomes, and all of the latest, 
special 
factory tools, and  up-to-date service bulletins. From my years of dealing with 
auto mechanics  of all kinds, on a day-to-day basis, I can state with 
certainty that  the majority of them are not very good, wherever they are 
found, and 
almost all  of them will "take you for a ride," if they get the chance.  
 
Also, as cars become ever more sophisticated, the ability of independent  
shops to work on them is hard to maintain. Nowadays, many dealership mechanics  
merely plug a car's main brain box into a factory-supplied computer, which  
spits out a "fault code," that tells the "technician" what the problem  is. It 
is 
hard for independent shops to compete with that kind of technology. 
 
For years after I left the car business, people who found out I had been in  
it would ask me where to take their cars to be serviced. I told them I 
honestly  didn't know. I didn't know where to take my own car, much less theirs.
 
I now live in a rural area, and drive cars we bought from a small, local  
dealership that could not survive if they treated people the way big-city  
dealerships do. The people there have been good to me so far, and I plan to  
stick 
with them.
 
If you find an "honest mechanic," if that is not an oxymoron, make sure he  
goes for regular physicals.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Resistor Search

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 7/25/2005 6:53:18 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
tom...@msn.com writes:

Once you  know what you need, you might be able to find it  here:
http://www.tubesandmore.com/


This company, also known as "Antique Electronic Supply," is one I have used  
over the years as a supplier of various things, including vacuum tubes,  
capacitors, electrical contact cleaners, and scratch-removing polishes  
designed to 
be used on plastic. Their catalogues are interesting reading in  themselves. 
They are a well regarded company, and I have always received good  service 
from them. They also have a limited supply of phonograph related items,  like 
books, etc.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] The rip-off age?

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/26/2005 1:12:25 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
esrobe...@hotmail.com writes:

I  consider a decent mechanic worth 100
times a good doctor.
 
I consider doctors to be overpaid mechanics. 
 
Randy

 

[Phono-L] The rip-off age?

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 7/26/2005 5:01:25 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
gpaul2...@aol.com writes:

they've  probably 
banded together and are sticking it to  me!).


Bingo! 

[Phono-L] OTAPS Meeting Photos

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

What is there to say? The machines are beautiful, and appear to be cared  for 
lovingly. They are very impressive. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Greatest American

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 6/30/2005 3:38:40 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
keeper...@aol.com writes:

I know  quite a few kids, in their 20s and younger.  They're nice young  
people.  They like my old car, so I've asked them what happened in  1918, 
just to 
relate it historically.  You get that vacant  look.  Not one could think of 
anything 


I am a high school teacher, near Richmond, Virginia. Last year, I  was able 
to give one of my students a brief history lesson by telling  him about the 
adventures I had when I fought in the  Civil War. He was fascinated. He said, 
 
"For real? Yeah. That was back in the sixties." 
 
True story.
 
Randy Minor

[Phono-L] Re: Amberola 30 - my 2 cents worth -

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 4/6/2005 6:49:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
clockworkh...@aol.com writes:

Lubricate all sliding surfaces  with a 
drop of sewing machine  oil. NOT 3in1 !


 
I use clock oil for this. Is that an acceptable substance?
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Re: Edison Phono on Antique Road Show this week

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, to all.
 
I had a coworker who was building a little retirement fund by  buying and 
selling collectibles of all kinds on ebay. His real love, and  specialty was 
watches. I told him once about how my wife and I took a  beautiful old pocket 
watch my mother left me to be appraised when the  antique road show rolled 
through 
my town. He laughed and said, bring it to me  and "I'll tell you the real 
story."

[Phono-L] veneer wrinkling

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, Keith:
 
I am not a cabinet expert, but I know a few possible  solutions. However, I 
ask you to remember the motto doctors are supposed to  follow, "Do no harm." 
(That's what they say in TV shows, anyway). If these  bumps/separations really 
bug you, which they apparently do, there a few things  you can try.
 
Humidity and dampness are the most common causes of veneer problems. The  old 
glues used "back in the day" deteriorate too. Horsehide glue can crystallize  
and allow veneers to separate. If the surfaces are flat, you can place a 
cloth,  or piece of cardboard over the loosened areas and use a flat iron  to 
liquefy the old glue crystals. Be very careful not to damage the  finish on the 
affected areas. 
 
If you can get the sections of veneer to separate at all, a syringe can be  
used to inject new glue under the veneer. You then clamp and brace the veneer  
just like you would a new project. Sometimes it is better to work on small  
sections at a time, than to try to fix the entire problem at once.
 
Whatever you try, be careful not to make the problem worse. If the cabinet  
is a nice one, you might consider paying a professional wood worker, or an  
experienced hobbyist to tackle the project for you. Spending a little money on  
the project would be better than spending the rest of your life saying, "That  
was a decent cabinet, until I tried to fix it."
 
Now, the real experts can step in and have the floor.
 
Good luck,
 
Randy
 
 

[Phono-L] Chat

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Tom:
 
I keep my security settings set relatively high, and I was able to get in  
the chat room. You should try to resolve the issue, because the few of us who  
were there had a nice time talking. (At least I did!)
 
I think you may be reaching the point of confusing your machine by having  
all of those security programs. I run McAfee antivirus software, and a  McAfee 
firewall, both of which are offered by AOL, at no extra charge  to their 
customers. AOL also includes antispyware with their service. I  know a lot of 
people 
consider AOL to be outdated, but they are death on spam,  and do a great job 
of weeding out viruses. I also use Ad-Aware and  SpywareBlaster.
 
I have played around with a lot of spyware programs. I haven't tried all of  
them, but it has been my experience that if Ad-Aware and SpywareBlaster don't  
stop something, the other programs probably won't either. If they do catch  
something those two programs miss, it is probably something relatively  
innocuous.
 
I know we have to be careful, with identity theft, and access to personal  
information becoming more of a problem every day, but don't let that ruin your  
online experience. Pick a couple of good programs, run them and update them  
regularly, and you should be okay.
 
One tip; I no longer use credit cards, or personal checks when I buy  things 
online, I use USPS money orders, because I don't want anyone knowing  my 
banking information. I don't want anyone seeing how little is actually  there!.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Help Identify Diamond Disc Machine

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 3/11/2005 7:51:26 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
drgr...@msn.com writes:

My  
problem is, I do not know the model number or history of this  machine.


 
My problem is that I don't know either. I looked in my books, and could not  
find a machine like yours. Your guess is as good as any, so far. The big-guns  
will have to settle this. Allen, Ron, Ray...help!
 
Randy
 
PS. It is a beautiful machine, whatever it may be. You were lucky to find  
such a nice piece during your neophyte phase!

[Phono-L] Help Identify Diamond Disc Machine

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, George:
 
Wouldn't the record cabinet with the vertical, maroon dividers indicate the  
machine is a little later than the dates you mentioned? I believe the other,  
more mundane models, (like the ones I find), changed over to the newer-style  
record cabinet near the end of 1918.
 
When I called for the "big-guns" to step in, I did not mean to slight you  by 
omitting your name. Thanks for the information.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Styli...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 3/8/2005 3:46:02 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
batwings78...@starpower.net writes:

had a  brand new diamond point placed 
on a DD reproducer, but it puts out much,  much less than an 
orginal needle. Any ideas? Is there a solution? Any  new-old 
stock around?


 
This is one of the biggest problems I've faced over the years with DD  
machines. Styli vary wildly, in sound quality, record wear, and volume.  I've 
read 
that Wyatt's Musical Americana stocks NOS ones for DD's, but I  have no idea 
how good they are.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Double-Repeated posts

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 3/8/2005 5:58:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
lo...@oldcrank.com writes:

First,  sorry about any repeating posts. As this is the first that I've
heard of  the problem, I'm looking into it now


 
Loran:
 
I get them to, from time to time. I figured we just get finger-stutter  
occasionally.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Dupes?

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Cute.

[Phono-L] Styli...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 3/9/2005 2:51:16 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
tom...@msn.com writes:

I used  one of Greg B's diaphragms in the rebuild as well.


Greg's diaphragms look like over-hyped cardboard, but they are the real  
deal. They sound great. 
 
I am glad to hear that Wyatt's styli worked for you. I need a couple of  
styli myself, and have wondered how good Wyatt's are. I've been  burned several 
times by dealers who sold me so-called, "NOS"  replacements for DD machines.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Styli...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 3/9/2005 4:32:32 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
tom...@msn.com writes:

Wyatt's  asked me to send to old stylus bar to them in exchange for a lower  
price.  I didn't want to try installing the stylus in the bar  myself.


 
You did the right thing.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Styli...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 

A shellac disc, no matter how damaged the grooves are,  cannot hurt a DIAMOND
stylus with a vtf of 3g or so.
 
 


 
I believe the phrase used in the original post was "badly damaged records",  
or similar wording. I assumed this description would include records that have 
a  few gouges and scratches which run across the grooves at odd angles.
 
The force per square inch brought to bear on any record stylus,  even a 
larger stylus designed for 78 RPM playback, is enormous. The  undulations and 
contortions a stylus has to follow make wear  inevitable.  The fact that these 
worn, abrasive, and damaged records are  spinning at more than twice the speed 
of 
an LP only compounds the forces a  stylus must endure. A diamond needle lasts 
longer than a steel needle, but it  still wears. I stand by my original 
statement.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Styli...

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 3/6/2005 4:02:16 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
batwings78...@starpower.net writes:

Correct  me if I'm mistaken, but won't a modern stlyus take a 
beating being played  on damaged discs?


 
Absolutely.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Recorder

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 3/6/2005 4:45:25 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
c5...@aol.com writes:

I think  that is what it is. I tried hooking it up to an aux. jack on a small 
 
system and it did not work. I think I need to plug it in a phono input on  a 
system to get it to work correctly. I will try that soon.  Thanks


 
Weren't those sold by OWL Audio?
 
Randy

[Phono-L] RE: Open-horned phonos

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

Hello, all:
 
Why does one see so many more open-horned Edison machines than  Victors? Even 
if one allows for Victor's early switch to internal-horned  designs, their 
open-horned models still seem to be rare, and expensive,  compared to their 
similarly priced Edison counterparts. This seems odd,  since open-horned 
Victors 
are the most recognizable symbol of  early phonographs to non-hobbyists. ( I've 
shown photos of my Triumph A to  more than one person, only to have them 
respond by saying, "What is  that?"). If I am showing my ignorance, so be it. I 
would like to know.
 
Randy

[Phono-L] Victor External Horn Machine Production

[diamondisk...@aol.com]

 
In a message dated 3/3/2005 7:15:58 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
bruce78...@comcast.net writes:

That is very perceptive of you,


 
Hey, I thought I did well to figure out what LFTD meant. Thanks for the  
answers, everyone.
 
Randy