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Post by edwomble on Dec 23, 2009 18:51:03 GMT -5
Hey everybody, did,t know there was a group such as this but I have a question. I received an Edison c-450 XVIII Century English console phonograph from my grandfather about 30 years ago. It was in terrible shape, but I completely restored it and have not played it much until lately. One thing that was bothering me was the quality of some of the disc recordings. I have some that the label is stamped into the disc and some with the paper label. The stamped label discs sound distant and with poor quality compared to the paper label ones. Does anyone have an answer to this? Thanks for the help and keep up the good work
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Post by maroongem on Dec 23, 2009 19:18:58 GMT -5
Hi and welcome to the board!
The incised discs are a hit or miss proposition due to the different formulas that Edison used until about 1921 when the condensite surface was perfected. The earliest incised can be found with a celluloid surface and these sound fantastic. During the war years (1917-1918), Edison had problems getting the material for the surface and these can be found with varying quality.
Very nice model of DD machine you have! Can you post some pix of it at some point?
Bill
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Post by larryh on Dec 23, 2009 20:03:35 GMT -5
Yes I agree you have a wonderful machine.. Something most of us would like to find I am sure.
As to the records, your right, many black label ones are poor surface as well as sound quality. But as Bill mentions those really early ones if in good shape yet are so quiet you can't tell there playing. I have found over time that way too many black label records are poor, but now and then one will surprise me and still have a good surface. Generally its not worth the trial though unless they are selling really cheap. I purchased a bunch of what normally everyone would agree was from the period they sounded poorly. To my surprise nearly every one of them sounded quite good with a moderate to low surface noise. Why that was is only a guess, my thoughts were that perhaps somehow they were stored at an optimum humidity and temperature which helped to slow any breakdown of the surfaces. I have had others that not a one was listenable. Generally stored in wet or damp basements.
While the white labels are by far the best sound, they too suffer from poor needles and other ailments often and it seems the poorer ones get recirculated among collectors in order to move them out. Makes buying quite risky.
One thing I haven't mentioned on any of the boards is why some of the extremely late acoustic edisons so weak in sound. When you would expect something with a late number to be really good, they can be so soft as to make one wonder what went on in that period?
At any rate you should be proud of your machine. I have personally only seen one in person and that was long ago at a money raiser for the St. Louis Symphony where items from some rather well to do homes was offered. I wish I could have bought it..
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