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Post by jeeprod on Apr 18, 2014 21:28:26 GMT -5
Is there a clue to the number of copies of a particular cylinder hidden in the dots and numbers on the edge of Blue Amberols? For example, an earlier cylinder, 1575, Put on your Old Gray Bonnet, has 6 dots and the number 3 after the Edison signiture and the word PATD. Another example 3745, The Arkansas Traveler, has 2 dots and the number 67. I would imagine this was a big seller because of the 67. The last example, 5144, After the Ball, has only 2 dots and a 2. Since this was from the late 20s, when amberol sales were smaller, the numbers must have some meaning. Can anybody educate me? Thank you
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Post by lucius1958 on Apr 19, 2014 1:04:47 GMT -5
The dots indicate the take number, and the numeral indicates the mold number.
Therefore, #1575 would be take 6, mold #3; #3745 is take 2, mold #67; #5144 is take 2, mold #2.
Obviously, if a selection was very popular, they would have made a larger number of molds to meet the demand…
Indeed, by the late '20s, BA pressings were often down to a few hundred copies, so they didn't need very many molds.
BillS
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Post by jeeprod on Apr 19, 2014 1:06:53 GMT -5
Any way of guessing how many copies could be made from a mold?
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Post by lucius1958 on Apr 19, 2014 1:19:50 GMT -5
Any way of guessing how many copies could be made from a mold? In Dethlefson's history of the Blue Amberols, he mentions that the rubber bladders used to mold the cylinders could have "blowouts every few hundred records and mould damage could result…" In the absence of damage, who knows? Thousands of copies, perhaps…. BillS |
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