[Phono-L] Phono-L Digest, Vol 5, Issue 287
Kindly provide the link to the NY Times article. Thanks, Larry **Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your favorites, no registration required and great graphics ? check it out! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/10075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir= http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame0001)
[Phono-L] Dave Boruff
Hi Dave, did you recieve my emails ok? Cheers Mark. Give us a shout! slowpost at clear.net.nz
[Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B
Thanks so much, what was the 1A horn made of? Steve From: gbogantz1 at charter.net To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:40:02 -0400 Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B I have all three machines, the Amberola 1A, 1B, and III. The III is very close to the 1B in sound, but I think it's a little more midrangey due to the metal horn. But it does sound very good, and it's my second favorite 4-minute cylinder player on the basis of sound quality, the 1B being the best commercially produced 4-minute cylinder machine ever made in my opinion. George Paul and I are having this discussion currently over on the OTV board, and we both agree also that the 1A is the best sounding commercially available 2 minute machine. The horns used in all these machines were the best that anybody ever made for cylinder machines, the metal one in the III being a close derivative of the shape of the ones in the 1A and 1B. This metal horn has a fairly complex shape and was never used in any other Edison product. Greg Bogantz- Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 10:26 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1BHow does it compare with the 1B sound wise since the horn is different? Steve Hey Jim, My Amberola III is absolutely one of my very favorite machines. Sounds superblooks superb..plays wax Amberols like no other vintage machine I have ever heard... It makes me happy. Bestest, Michael Khanchalian (cyldoc) ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
[Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B
Steve, the 1A and 1B horns are very odd. They're made of a fibrous material, molded or layed up against a form. Different from anything else that Edison ever did. Someone on one of these phono boards had the answer in a previous posting, but I can't remember the details. Hopefully they will respond with a clear description. Anyway, the horns are well damped due to this construction technique and don't exhibit the ringing and resonances that are common with metal horns, which is one of the reasons they sound so good. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_nor...@msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:35 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B Thanks so much, what was the 1A horn made of? Steve From: gbogantz1 at charter.net To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:40:02 -0400 Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B I have all three machines, the Amberola 1A, 1B, and III. The III is very close to the 1B in sound, but I think it's a little more midrangey due to the metal horn. But it does sound very good, and it's my second favorite 4-minute cylinder player on the basis of sound quality, the 1B being the best commercially produced 4-minute cylinder machine ever made in my opinion. George Paul and I are having this discussion currently over on the OTV board, and we both agree also that the 1A is the best sounding commercially available 2 minute machine. The horns used in all these machines were the best that anybody ever made for cylinder machines, the metal one in the III being a close derivative of the shape of the ones in the 1A and 1B. This metal horn has a fairly complex shape and was never used in any other Ediso n product. Greg Bogantz- Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 10:26 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1BHow does it compare with the 1B sound wise since the horn is different? Steve Hey Jim, My Amberola III is absolutely one of my very favorite machines. Sounds superblooks superb..plays wax Amberols like no other vintage machine I have ever heard... It makes me happy. Bestest, Michael Khanchalian (cyldoc) ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
[Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B
Jute and rabbit hide glue. Steven Medved wrote: Thanks so much, what was the 1A horn made of? Steve From: gbogantz1 at charter.net To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:40:02 -0400 Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B I have all three machines, the Amberola 1A, 1B, and III. The III is very close to the 1B in sound, but I think it's a little more midrangey due to the metal horn. But it does sound very good, and it's my second favorite 4-minute cylinder player on the basis of sound quality, the 1B being the best commercially produced 4-minute cylinder machine ever made in my opinion. George Paul and I are having this discussion currently over on the OTV board, and we both agree also that the 1A is the best sounding commercially available 2 minute machine. The horns used in all these machines were the best that anybody ever made for cylinder machines, the metal one in the III being a close derivative of the shape of the ones in the 1A and 1B. This metal horn has a fairly complex shape and was never used in any other Edi so n product. Greg Bogantz- Original Message - From: Steven Medved steve_noreen at msn.com To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 10:26 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1BHow does it compare with the 1B sound wise since the horn is different? Steve Hey Jim, My Amberola III is absolutely one of my very favorite machines. Sounds superblooks superb..plays wax Amberols like no other vintage machine I have ever heard... It makes me happy. Bestest, Michael Khanchalian (cyldoc) ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
[Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B
The horns are jute - similar to old carpet pad - stiffened with rabbit hide glue, gessoed (thin plaster), and then grain-painted to match the cabinet. They are self-supporting and only fastened to the bottom of the horn compartment with a metal stiffener bar. From: gbogantz1 at charter.net To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:46:53 -0400 Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B Steve, the 1A and 1B horns are very odd. They're made of a fibrous material, molded or layed up against a form. Different from anything else that Edison ever did. Someone on one of these phono boards had the answer in a previous posting, but I can't remember the details. Hopefully they will respond with a clear description. Anyway, the horns are well damped due to this construction technique and don't exhibit the ringing and resonances that are common with metal horns, which is one of the reasons they sound so good. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: Steven Medved To: Antique Phonograph List Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:35 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B Thanks so much, what was the 1A horn made of? Steve From: gbogantz1 at charter.net To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:40:02 -0400 Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B I have all three machines, the Amberola 1A, 1B, and III. The III is very close to the 1B in sound, but I think it's a little more midrangey due to the metal horn. But it does sound very good, and it's my second favorite 4-minute cylinder player on the basis of sound quality, the 1B being the best commercially produced 4-minute cylinder machine ever made in my opinion. George Paul and I are having this discussion currently over on the OTV board, and we both agree also that the 1A is the best sounding commercially available 2 minute machine. The horns used in all these machines were the best that anybody ever made for cylinder machines, the metal one in the III being a close derivative of the shape of the ones in the 1A and 1B. This metal horn has a fairly complex shape and was never used in any other Ediso n product. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: Steven Medved To: Antique Phonograph List Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 10:26 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B How does it compare with the 1B sound wise since the horn is different? Steve Hey Jim, My Amberola III is absolutely one of my very favorite machines. Sounds superblooks superb..plays wax Amberols like no other vintage machine I have ever heard... It makes me happy. Bestest, Michael Khanchalian (cyldoc) ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
[Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz)
Greg, I'd be interested to know more about why an Amberola 1A would not sound equally as good as the 1B for 4 min wax or blue amberols assuming the correct reproducer is used, (the M for 4 min wax and the diamond A for blue amberols)? Thanks, Bruce Bruce Johnson Pod Valem II, 870 252 43 Pruhonice Czech Republic Tel: (CZ) + 420 602 362 473 Tel: (US) + 1 612 605 5242 From: phono-l-request at oldcrank.org phono-l-requ...@oldcrank.org To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 8:00:05 PM Subject: Phono-L Digest, Vol 5, Issue 288 Send Phono-L mailing list submissions to phono-l at oldcrank.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://oldcrank.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/phono-l or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to phono-l-request at oldcrank.org You can reach the person managing the list at phono-l-owner at oldcrank.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than Re: Contents of Phono-L digest... If you reply, please change your subject line and don't include this entire digest in your message.Today's Topics: 1. Re: Loss To Phono Collector Community (Zonophone2006 at aol.com) 2. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Michael F. Khanchalian) 3. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Steven Medved) 4. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) 5. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Rich) 6. Re: Phono-L Digest, Vol 5, Issue 287 (RROCRREC at aol.com) 7. Dave Boruff (Mark Dawson) 8. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Steven Medved) 9. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
[Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz)
Bruce, the only reason that I discount the 1A from being the best cylinder player is because of its inferior motor. The straight-cut spur gears of the 1A are decidedly noisier than the Opera motor of the 1B and the III. When I first got my 1A, it sounded like and electric drill whenever I ran it. The noise comes mostly from the high speed governor gears, and the only fix for it is to replace these gears with nearly perfect new ones. Try to find those anywhere! I got lucky and swapped a fellow collector some items for a set of nearly new gears which quieted my 1A down to the point where it is enjoyable, but still not as quiet as my 1B. The other big problem with the 1A is that it doesn't have the mechanical flutter filter and flywheel that Edison added to some of his later motors such as the Opera, Amberola V, and all the late amberolas. The lack of a sufficient flywheel coupled with the belt drive of the 1A virtually ensures that you'll get flutter and wow that is just an essential aspect of this design. Acoustically, the 1A is the same as the 1B, but the motor spoils the total experience a little. However, since the 1A motor is no worse than any found on any other 2 minute cylinder machine, the superior horn of the 1A makes it the best overall 2 minute machine in my estimation. AND it has the added benefit that you can play 2 minute celluloid records with the Diamond A reproducer which is truly the best 2 minute experience that you can get in a commercially made machine. I like my 1A just fine, but I prefer to hear 4 minute celluloids on my 1B or my III. I don't include the Opera among the very best sounding machines because I haven't heard ANY commercially made outside horns on cylinder machines that are the sonic equal to the horns in the Amberola 1s and III. I mentioned on the OTV board that I have a mechanical engineer friend who decided to make his own large genuine cygnet shaped exponential outside horn. He has fitted it to an Amberola 50 motor which he has put into a custom tabletop cabinet. The horn is suspended over the carriage by a clever, original design double crane pantographic system that works much better than any original design. He calls his machine the Ediphonic and has even put an Edison-style logo on it with that name. The reproducer is a modified Diamond B which has a custom diaphragm in it similar to the ones that I make. The entire project is very well-done, tidy, and authentic looking. I can tell you with first-ear assurance that this is the BEST sounding acoustic 4 minute cylinder player I have EVER heard. The exponential horn works wonderfully well with the Diamond B, and the results from playing the early directly recorded BA records (not the dubs) is some of the best sounding acoustic reproduction you will ever hear. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: valecnik57-p...@yahoo.com To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:46 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) Greg, I'd be interested to know more about why an Amberola 1A would not sound equally as good as the 1B for 4 min wax or blue amberols assuming the correct reproducer is used, (the M for 4 min wax and the diamond A for blue amberols)? Thanks, Bruce Bruce Johnson Pod Valem II, 870 252 43 Pruhonice Czech Republic Tel: (CZ) + 420 602 362 473 Tel: (US) + 1 612 605 5242 From: phono-l-request at oldcrank.org phono-l-request at oldcrank.org To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 8:00:05 PM Subject: Phono-L Digest, Vol 5, Issue 288 Send Phono-L mailing list submissions to phono-l at oldcrank.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://oldcrank.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/phono-l or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to phono-l-request at oldcrank.org You can reach the person managing the list at phono-l-owner at oldcrank.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than Re: Contents of Phono-L digest... If you reply, please change your subject line and don't include this entire digest in your message.Today's Topics: 1. Re: Loss To Phono Collector Community (Zonophone2006 at aol.com) 2. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Michael F. Khanchalian) 3. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Steven Medved) 4. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) 5. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Rich) 6. Re: Phono-L Digest, Vol 5, Issue 287 (RROCRREC at aol.com) 7. Dave Boruff (Mark Dawson) 8. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Steven Medved) 9. Re: Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
[Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz)
Greg is correct on his points about the IA. I've had mine for almost 20 years and it has followed me around England, then to Boston with a couple moves in town, then to Chicago with a couple of moves. Of the 50 or so machines I own or have owned,(not to mention the 1,000s I've handled professionally) it is by far my favourite. If I could only keep one it would be the one. Yes, wax Amberols may sound better on a III and Blue Amberols better on an Opera, but only the IA plays all three as well as non-Edison celluloids. And you get storage for your 100 fave cylinders. And given a choice, the Lyre grille is the best. Long live the Amberola IA!!! Best to all, George - Original Message - From: Greg Bogantz gbogan...@charter.net To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:48 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) Bruce, the only reason that I discount the 1A from being the best cylinder player is because of its inferior motor. The straight-cut spur gears of the 1A are decidedly noisier than the Opera motor of the 1B and the III. When I first got my 1A, it sounded like and electric drill whenever I ran it. The noise comes mostly from the high speed governor gears, and the only fix for it is to replace these gears with nearly perfect new ones. Try to find those anywhere! I got lucky and swapped a fellow collector some items for a set of nearly new gears which quieted my 1A down to the point where it is enjoyable, but still not as quiet as my 1B. The other big problem with the 1A is that it doesn't have the mechanical flutter filter and flywheel that Edison added to some of his later motors such as the Opera, Amberola V, and all the late amberolas. The lack of a sufficient flywheel coupled with the belt drive of the 1A virtually ensures that you'll get flutter and wow that is just an essential aspect of this design. Acoustically, the 1A is the same as the 1B, but the motor spoils the total experience a little. However, since the 1A motor is no worse than any found on any other 2 minute cylinder machine, the superior horn of the 1A makes it the best overall 2 minute machine in my estimation. AND it has the added benefit that you can play 2 minute celluloid records with the Diamond A reproducer which is truly the best 2 minute experience that you can get in a commercially made machine. I like my 1A just fine, but I prefer to hear 4 minute celluloids on my 1B or my III. I don't include the Opera among the very best sounding machines because I haven't heard ANY commercially made outside horns on cylinder machines that are the sonic equal to the horns in the Amberola 1s and III. I mentioned on the OTV board that I have a mechanical engineer friend who decided to make his own large genuine cygnet shaped exponential outside horn. He has fitted it to an Amberola 50 motor which he has put into a custom tabletop cabinet. The horn is suspended over the carriage by a clever, original design double crane pantographic system that works much better than any original design. He calls his machine the Ediphonic and has even put an Edison-style logo on it with that name. The reproducer is a modified Diamond B which has a custom diaphragm in it similar to the ones that I make. The entire project is very well-done, tidy, and authentic looking. I can tell you with first-ear assurance that this is the BEST sounding acoustic 4 minute cylinder player I have EVER heard. The exponential horn works wonderfully well with the Diamond B, and the results from playing the early directly recorded BA records (not the dubs) is some of the best sounding acoustic reproduction you will ever hear. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: valecnik57-purc at yahoo.com To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:46 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) Greg, I'd be interested to know more about why an Amberola 1A would not sound equally as good as the 1B for 4 min wax or blue amberols assuming the correct reproducer is used, (the M for 4 min wax and the diamond A for blue amberols)? Thanks, Bruce Bruce Johnson Pod Valem II, 870 252 43 Pruhonice Czech Republic Tel: (CZ) + 420 602 362 473 Tel: (US) + 1 612 605 5242 From: phono-l-request at oldcrank.org phono-l-request at oldcrank.org To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 8:00:05 PM Subject: Phono-L Digest, Vol 5, Issue 288 Send Phono-L mailing list submissions to phono-l at oldcrank.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://oldcrank.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/phono-l or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to phono-l-request at oldcrank.org You can reach the person managing the list at phono-l-owner at oldcrank.org
[Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz)
I also have a A-1, and I play it often, (first rococo grill) but I never could figure out why they put the extra shut off lever on the front left of the bedplate. The lever to lower the reproducer turns the machine on and when you lift it the machine shuts off, so why the extra shut off? kind of redundant, and I never have used it. Also If you are going to play wax amberols I think the model L tracks them better than the M. Al. - Original Message - From: George Glastris glast...@comcast.net To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 4:52 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) Greg is correct on his points about the IA. I've had mine for almost 20 years and it has followed me around England, then to Boston with a couple moves in town, then to Chicago with a couple of moves. Of the 50 or so machines I own or have owned,(not to mention the 1,000s I've handled professionally) it is by far my favourite. If I could only keep one it would be the one. Yes, wax Amberols may sound better on a III and Blue Amberols better on an Opera, but only the IA plays all three as well as non-Edison celluloids. And you get storage for your 100 fave cylinders. And given a choice, the Lyre grille is the best. Long live the Amberola IA!!! Best to all, George - Original Message - From: Greg Bogantz gbogantz1 at charter.net To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:48 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) Bruce, the only reason that I discount the 1A from being the best cylinder player is because of its inferior motor. The straight-cut spur gears of the 1A are decidedly noisier than the Opera motor of the 1B and the III. When I first got my 1A, it sounded like and electric drill whenever I ran it. The noise comes mostly from the high speed governor gears, and the only fix for it is to replace these gears with nearly perfect new ones. Try to find those anywhere! I got lucky and swapped a fellow collector some items for a set of nearly new gears which quieted my 1A down to the point where it is enjoyable, but still not as quiet as my 1B. The other big problem with the 1A is that it doesn't have the mechanical flutter filter and flywheel that Edison added to some of his later motors such as the Opera, Amberola V, and all the late amberolas. The lack of a sufficient flywheel coupled with the belt drive of the 1A virtually ensures that you'll get flutter and wow that is just an essential aspect of this design. Acoustically, the 1A is the same as the 1B, but the motor spoils the total experience a little. However, since the 1A motor is no worse than any found on any other 2 minute cylinder machine, the superior horn of the 1A makes it the best overall 2 minute machine in my estimation. AND it has the added benefit that you can play 2 minute celluloid records with the Diamond A reproducer which is truly the best 2 minute experience that you can get in a commercially made machine. I like my 1A just fine, but I prefer to hear 4 minute celluloids on my 1B or my III. I don't include the Opera among the very best sounding machines because I haven't heard ANY commercially made outside horns on cylinder machines that are the sonic equal to the horns in the Amberola 1s and III. I mentioned on the OTV board that I have a mechanical engineer friend who decided to make his own large genuine cygnet shaped exponential outside horn. He has fitted it to an Amberola 50 motor which he has put into a custom tabletop cabinet. The horn is suspended over the carriage by a clever, original design double crane pantographic system that works much better than any original design. He calls his machine the Ediphonic and has even put an Edison-style logo on it with that name. The reproducer is a modified Diamond B which has a custom diaphragm in it similar to the ones that I make. The entire project is very well-done, tidy, and authentic looking. I can tell you with first-ear assurance that this is the BEST sounding acoustic 4 minute cylinder player I have EVER heard. The exponential horn works wonderfully well with the Diamond B, and the results from playing the early directly recorded BA records (not the dubs) is some of the best sounding acoustic reproduction you will ever hear. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: valecnik57-purc at yahoo.com To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:46 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) Greg, I'd be interested to know more about why an Amberola 1A would not sound equally as good as the 1B for 4 min wax or blue amberols assuming the correct reproducer is used, (the M for 4 min wax and the diamond A for blue amberols)? Thanks, Bruce Bruce Johnson
[Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz)
On my Amberola 1A, the extra lever provides a more positive shut off. If I just use the upper lever, I sometimes get a little bit of slippage. On Oct 28, 2008, at 9:11 PM, Albert wrote: I also have a A-1, and I play it often, (first rococo grill) but I never could figure out why they put the extra shut off lever on the front left of the bedplate. The lever to lower the reproducer turns the machine on and when you lift it the machine shuts off, so why the extra shut off? kind of redundant, and I never have used it. Also If you are going to play wax amberols I think the model L tracks them better than the M. Al. - Original Message - From: George Glastris glastris at comcast.net To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 4:52 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) Greg is correct on his points about the IA. I've had mine for almost 20 years and it has followed me around England, then to Boston with a couple moves in town, then to Chicago with a couple of moves. Of the 50 or so machines I own or have owned,(not to mention the 1,000s I've handled professionally) it is by far my favourite. If I could only keep one it would be the one. Yes, wax Amberols may sound better on a III and Blue Amberols better on an Opera, but only the IA plays all three as well as non-Edison celluloids. And you get storage for your 100 fave cylinders. And given a choice, the Lyre grille is the best. Long live the Amberola IA!!! Best to all, George - Original Message - From: Greg Bogantz gbogantz1 at charter.net To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:48 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research: Amberolas 1A and 1B (Greg Bogantz) Bruce, the only reason that I discount the 1A from being the best cylinder player is because of its inferior motor. The straight- cut spur gears of the 1A are decidedly noisier than the Opera motor of the 1B and the III. When I first got my 1A, it sounded like and electric drill whenever I ran it. The noise comes mostly from the high speed governor gears, and the only fix for it is to replace these gears with nearly perfect new ones. Try to find those anywhere! I got lucky and swapped a fellow collector some items for a set of nearly new gears which quieted my 1A down to the point where it is enjoyable, but still not as quiet as my 1B. The other big problem with the 1A is that it doesn't have the mechanical flutter filter and flywheel that Edison added to some of his later motors such as the Opera, Amberola V, and all the late amberolas. The lack of a sufficient flywheel coupled with the belt drive of the 1A virtually ensures that you'll get flutter and wow that is just an essential aspect of this design. Acoustically, the 1A is the same as the 1B, but the motor spoils the total experience a little. However, since the 1A motor is no worse than any found on any other 2 minute cylinder machine, the superior horn of the 1A makes it the best overall 2 minute machine in my estimation. AND it has the added benefit that you can play 2 minute celluloid records with the Diamond A reproducer which is truly the best 2 minute experience that you can get in a commercially made machine. I like my 1A just fine, but I prefer to hear 4 minute celluloids on my 1B or my III. I don't include the Opera among the very best sounding machines because I haven't heard ANY commercially made outside horns on cylinder machines that are the sonic equal to the horns in the Amberola 1s and III. I mentioned on the OTV board that I have a mechanical engineer friend who decided to make his own large genuine cygnet shaped exponential outside horn. He has fitted it to an Amberola 50 motor which he has put into a custom tabletop cabinet. The horn is suspended over the carriage by a clever, original design double crane pantographic system that works much better than any original design. He calls his machine the Ediphonic and has even put an Edison-style logo on it with that name. The reproducer is a modified Diamond B which has a custom diaphragm in it similar to the ones that I make. The entire project is very well-done, tidy, and authentic looking. I can tell you with first-ear assurance that this is the BEST sounding acoustic 4 minute cylinder player I have EVER heard. The exponential horn works wonderfully well with the Diamond B, and the results from playing the early directly recorded BA records (not the dubs) is some of the best sounding acoustic reproduction you will ever hear. Greg Bogantz - Original Message - From: valecnik57-purc at yahoo.com To: phono-l at oldcrank.org Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:46 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Research:
