It's 1970 and Columbia Records is beginning to feel the pressure

[lordkenmore]

"Victor, on the other hand, signed up the most famous stars from Opera, etc to record its records. Who would you rather listen to - Enrico Caruso and Nellie Melba or Moton Slotnick and Olive Splotnick?"

That is a real plus for Victor. I think the Edison being better was a technical issue...but obviously if the selection is poor/limited, one is better served by something that may not be as technically good, but does have the selection.

Lord Kenmore/Previously J2400

 

[alanlendaro]

Actually Edison disc records were called "Diamond Discs

The grooves were laterally cut in a 'hill and dale' pattern (like the Edison cylinder records were) and were played with a diamond stylus. Victor and other manufacturers were cut vertically (like the lp's that started this thread). You could not play one on a machine designed for the other. It was either Pathe or Aeolan Vocallion that offered machines that had special tone arms that had both soundboxes mounted. The user simply rotated the proper playback head for the type of disc being played.

I have heard that the later electrically recorded Diamond Discs have quite excellent sound, but I have not heard one first hand. I think those discs are pretty rare since they had lost the market to Victor and the other laterally cut discs.

 

[ptcruiser51]

Class Trip

Anytime you're in the New Jersey area, the Edison Museum in West Orange has regular tours. One of the features is they bring you into a "sound studio" of sorts where they have various phonographs and play them for you. The sound on even the very early ones is surprisingly good. They also have the "Black Maria" on display, used for the first motion picture recordings. The museum just re-opened after a period of renovations.

 

[supersuds]

Panatrope

My mom remembers her father's phonograph was called a Panatrope, which appears to have been made by Brunswick. She says that you could hear it all over the neighborhood when he cranked it up. He favored Victor Herbert and Rudolf Friml. Anyway, I assume it was all-electric but information on the web is scarce.

 

[whirlaway]

Brunswick

Google Brunswick Panatrope,its very interesting.Several sites.Yes it was electrically amplified,some came with a Radiola,and at 1200 in the 20s.It read around 1925 they started their machine,Thanks Bobby