Recording on new cylinders

[duke]

Good Morning,
I'm one day new on this message board. I have a "D" model and have about 20 cylinders. I have a question. I know through some brief research that there are a couple of people who make new cylinders. My question is, does anyone do actual re-recording of old onto new? My main interest is in obtaining some Christmas holiday songs. I'm sure this question has been asked dozens of times but would appreciate any info you can provide.

Looking forward to using this board!
Duke

[borrilabs]

This is Shawn Borri who makes new blanks. There is a few fellows who offer recording services on youtube. I used to have an electrical dubbing service, but the equipment is very delicate and is down so much, I do not have time to make the recordings, I only record live acoustic performers anymore.

I have taken all the constructive information from customers, and collectors over the years, and also knowledge gained from many years of research in making the wax masters, and since May, have changed all the equipment to make a much better product., the wax is as close today as you can get to an Edison blank. I make standard size blanks, but can also make Ediphone blanks too, that work with the Ejectomatic. The new blanks for home entertainment are 2.190" in diameter, and 4.5" long (they fill the entire mandrel) , the maximum an Edison will take, so you can record a few practice runs before you shave down to 2.150 which is about the thickness that most of the commercial cylinders were recorded at. They also have the spiral core like the original blanks, My two new molds, one makes left handed spiral and the other a right handed spiral. The blanks come out of the mold at 2.43" in diameter, which is thicker than an Ediphone blank, they also are 7" long when they come out of the mold. The reason for this is to decrease surface defects, I also filter the wax, so that they are as quiet as can be. I am always open to suggestions on how to make them better. I need not post my website, a quick search for phonogram or cylinder recording blank will find my page. I have made a few thousand pounds of wax in the last 13years, although not much in comparison with a day at the Edison plant I think quite a bit in the 21st century.

[albert]

Duke,
The answer to your question is yes.
Vulcan records in the UK offer several such songs at any given time, and their song list is constantly changing. If you look through their various catalogues, you'll find what you are looking for.

www.phonographcylinders.com/index.php

Wizard records in USA also sell reproduction cylinders, but these are bought in from Vulcan anyway, & I'm not sure if Wizard offer the choices offered by Vulcan.
For new blank wax cylinders, I would recommend contacting Paul Morris, also in UK.

www.paulmorrismusic.co.uk/WaxCylinders.asp

Hope this helps.

[maroongem]

You can also get newly made cylinders from Shawn Borri in the U.S.

members.tripod.com/~Edison_1/id27.html

[albert]

I think it's common knowledge that Paul Morris cylinders are of a more consistant quality, and they cost less than the alternative.

[maroongem]

Aug 14, 2012 19:53:29 GMT -5 @albert said:

I think it's common knowledge that Paul Morris cylinders are of a more consistant quality, and they cost less than the alternative.

GS, I knew you'd take the bait.......................

[borrilabs]

I really hate this pitting one blank making artist against another. All of us, who make cylinder recording blanks are friends! I have examples of new Paul Morris, and Chuck Richards blanks, and I send Paul Morris, and Chuck Richards samples of any changes in blanks that I make, we discuss in private blank making shop talk, Chuck Richards and I have discussed details of blank making hours and hours on the phone and in person. I think it is good to have a variety of blanks for different recording purposes, I have been known to use Morris, Borri and Richards blanks in recording sessions, it depends on what I am recording. I have known Paul Morris since the early 1990s, when I was a teenager, we have met at Union, he is a wonderful person, and a mentor. Making these things takes lots of time and patients so you should appreciate all of us who burn ourselves, and breath in the unhealthy fumes I do not see you guys doing this to make you a medium to record on! My hat is off to Chuck Richards Paul Morris, and me. My own product improves from constructive points, from customers,that I take very seriously, and sometimes caused panic attacks however the bitchings out I get do make them better, and all of us do this. I have included a recent photo of my totally re-tooled process blanks, they are nothing like the old blanks I made. I have been producing the new ones since May, and have made 70-80 of the new ones since then. They come out of the mold very thick so there less chance of surface defects, they also have a nice finished flat end. One cylinder in the photo is an original Edison brown wax blank. Good recording compound has to be processed so similar that it is a matter of your opinions and personal choice of which blank is better. I like all of them, original, Paul Morris,Chuck Richards or my own.

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[lucius1958]

We're being spammed again.... >:-(

[maroongem]

Bill,

Those posts weren't really spam per se, but were posts made by a guest for a specific attack upon a particular member of the board.

[borrilabs]

I think the Edison Shop now makes plastic resin cylinders too, but I think he only sells on ebay.

[borrilabs]

Some updates. Here is some photos of the latest Borri Audio Laboratory reording blanks, I have about two dozen in stock now. I have sold about 300 this year already. Union I sold out of blanks. A new addition to the shop is an original Edison studio recording head, used by Walter Miller, Fred C Burt and George Werner. I have spent a few hundred hours changing diaphragms and dampening, and am very happy to say it sounds very well indeed, I get about the same recording quality from it as from Edison BA 2048, if I get 4 minute feed and four minute cutters I can then record four minute masters, right now it is set for two minute, a change in the styli only takes a minute These were made for quick change of diaphragms and stylus. This was purchased from a recently sold collection in New Jersey and purchased at Union, it has been confirmed to be an Edison studio recorder for all the doubters. I will be honest, I never thought I would ever see one of these let alone have a working one. No it did not work when I purchased it, in fact none of them are complete with either a diaphragm, one had a cutting stylus, in the collection from which this is from. I must say it is very sensitive compared to a home recorder, and loud, and much clearer too. Blanks must be wobble free so the cutter cuts an even depth. The brass knob is the advance ball adjustment, you raise and lower the cutting stylus into the blank. Any Questions??