Edison cylinder phonograph playing "Listen to the Mocking Bird"

[duhlittleman]

I am going to threw my mp3 player away know .

[duhlittleman]

i am going threw my mp3 player away know .

[Korban3]

These obviously are Chuck Norris brand cylinders. They still kick ass like the did a just over a centruy ago. Old and going strong.

[owtatowttowt]

if am not mistaken, these guys are The Green Brothers. heard them on internet archive - it's a good source for old copyright-expired music.

[langtoronto]

I have 43 Edison 1/4" records that use to belong to my husband's grandmother who grew up during the era these records were produced. They appeared to be in good condition. Some have a paper label on them, but most of them don't (the words are etched directly onto the records). If anyone has more questions and/or is interested in these records, please send me a message.

[gerica22]

@langtoronto

Ah, those sound like Edison Diamond disks.

[theblue64]

Everyone playing in that phonograph cylinder, and those that knew them died more than 90 years ago.

[CoolDudeClem]

It's amazing that these old things can still play today, but I can't get thougth a single youtube session without at least one video freezing up on me! that's progress for you.

[link0zeldarulz89]

Your phonograph runs smoothly. Did you by chance fix it (if it needed fixing) or what?

[gerica22]

I bought this phonograph from Tim Fabrizio, who is the world's top historian of antique phonographs and the author of many books on the subject. He also restores and sells them. He fully restored it. The finish is original and virtually all of the parts except for the horn are original.

[vincenz55]

song gives me shivers all the time incredible

[lahomiesi]

great tool to create a pure black metal sound >: D

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

My father had one of these.

Thank you for the memories.

George Vreeland Hill

[organist45]

Good way to ruin a blue ambererol recording! They were ment to play on a Blue Amberol machine that used a speacial diamond needle just like edison's diamond disc records were ment to only play on a Machine desinged for Diamond Discs grove with on these type of records are different than wax cylinders or 78 discs ! YOU WILL EVENTUALY DESTROY THEM PLAYING THEM ON THIS KIND OF MACHINE!

[gerica22]

This machine has the selectable gearing to play all types of 2 or 4 minute cylinders - including Blue Amberol. It has the proper groove pitch and a model K reproducer which has 2 styli - one for 2 min. and one for 4 min. cylinders. The stylus is sapphire on these older machines (rather than diamond that was on the "newer" amberolas), but that does not wear the cylinders any more than the diamonds (and may even wear them less.) Edison fully intended the Blue Amberols to play on these machines!

[lambadafan]

An interesting article on the song itself in wiki. The song was written in 1855

The chorous was 'borrowed' in 1976 by Brasilian Master Vieira in his recording of Lambada of Quebrados. 

[lambadafan]

An interesting article on the song itself in wiki

The chorous was 'borrowed' in 1976 by Brasilian Master Vieira in his recording of Lambada of Quebrados.

[Carthsting]

I wonder how cool will be if i record "Bohemian Rhapsody" on phonograph.

[bobbobato]

Has this recording been properly digitized yet? There can't be too many other copies left, and they're probably not of the same quality. This cylinder is already 105 years old, so in a few years or decades, if the song isn't properly transfered to some other medium, then all will be left of the music will be this Youtube video- a recording of a recording.

[gerica22]

@bobbobato There are a number of sites and projects that have digitized cylinders so I believe it is likely that it has been.

[jazzyjames1990]

@bobbobato yeah theres more around then you think. i have a copy of this cylinder. these cylinders are very archival and as a matter of fact the indestructable brand of cylinders are the most archival way of storing an analog recording.

[riqzster]

This particular musical arrangement was intented to show off what that model could do!

[Starfighterking]

very fascinating machine !! i love this.

[Starfighterking]

This is one of the best songs!

[edisonphonographfan]

i have thiss cylinder but its a shame its one of mine that is scratched most of mine are in wonderful shpae i wish this one was so i could play it very nice machine sounds great is it restored?

[gerica22]

The finish is original. The machine was refurbished as needed (rebuilt soundbox, cleaned up, lubricated, calibrated)

[SecularOrnina]

Wonderful cylinder!

Thank you so much!!!

[gregoryagogo]

Those are some powerful notes!

[djoutrage18]

that is amazing!

I own a hmv portable gramophone and collect jazz records or i'm trying to anyway, and just wanted to hear what a cyllinder actually sounds like when played on a gramophone. Can someone explane exactly how you work that thing? i'm blind and can't see the vidio and am pritty interested. Do you wind it up like you do the gramophones and put it on the turntable in the same way? etc

[chrisman737]

Amazing. This really highlights the quality of the invention. So many times when we hear worn out cylinders, we somehow assume that this was the original quality, because they are "old." But just as old films looked very nice and new when first released, so, too, newly-done cylinders often sounded excellent. Like this one. Stunning quality -- really quite stunning considering the technology.

[cbalsz]

What an awesome sound! Crazy to think I'm hearing it over the internet 100 years since that cylinder was etched.

[MrTwinclarinets]

Just beautiful!

[desoto1961]

Sounds great !!

[EnerG15]

I love this song! Do they have a 2 min. version? I only have a 2 minute players.

[Doobie1975]

I've discovered this song through the Three Stooges shorts, which part of this song was used on the Three Stooges shorts? I know this song was used from "Pardon my Scotch" to "Three Little Sew and Sews"

[Musicman543210]

i'm currently bidding on a restored 1912 edison cylinder phonograph on ebay. im praying i dont get outbid!

[OmegaWolf747]

I'm praying that what you got was a real phonograph and not a Chinese ripoff. eBay is rife with those.

[gerica22]

Yes, Ebay can be hazardous for this type of thing. I bought the cylinder player in this video from Tim Fabrizio, who is the world's foremost expert on antique phonographs. He has a website called Phonophan. Take a look!!

[MrXnews]

@gerica22 Usually most "crap-o-phones" are disc, not cylinder, machines. You can never be too careful, though.

[coldplays179]

how do you tell the difference?...and what price should you pay for a decent phonograph?

once I find a decent quad-8 player, my next goal is a phonograph

[joejumps4fun]

Did you win it? (3 months later...)

[naruto7toshirou]

the mocking bird music makes me happy well!

[naruto7toshirou]

the mocking bird phono is making my life free

[smenkkare]

Muito lindo este instrumento,uma das maiores, senão a maior invenção do século 19.

Nunca ví um aparelho tão conservado como este!

[grimbleahoy]

Astonishing! Unbelievable sound quality and what a beautiful example of the phono. Great posting.

[KoivuTheHab]

I didn't know they sounded quite this good! How bad is the wear? Would it sound very chippy after 100 or so runs? This was on the softer material wasn't it?

[gerica22]

The cylinders I have are in amazingly good condition. This is an Edison Blue Amberol, which were made of celluloid, so they are much more durable than the earlier wax cylinders. I have probably played this one 20 times, and it was probably played many more times in the previous 95 or so years!! They seem to wear very well.

[1947Desoto]

Wonderful cylinder! It sounds in excellent condition! Part of this tune was used as the theme music for the Three Stooges shorts from 1935-1938 I believe.

[gerica22]

Yes - I had not thought about that, but you are right, a piece of the tune was used.

[YeOldeTune]

You are right.

[WSenator1]

I understand the original lyrics for this song talks about a man who just lost his wife and the mockingbird's call reminds him of her. And they picked this as the theme song for three slapstick comics! Go figure!

[YeOldeTune]

The Three Stooges open theme! Amazing

[gerica22]

Yes! It never occurred to me - I forgot it was that tune

[harpo103]

I'd like to get my hands on a WIZARD phonograph. It was the invention of my Great-Grandfather, but, a marketing failure.

[Halili369]

Amazing, the xylophone actually kinda sounds like the calls of a mockingbird.

[vincenz55]

simply breathtaking

[toad4eva]

good lord where did you find that, to day i spent £80 on a good deal on 20 cylinder records, but i have nothing to play them on, any good leads?

[totoroben]

sounds pretty good actually

[gerica22]

yes, it is amazing how well-preserved these old records are. I'd like to see a CD play 100 years from now!

[kraniumguy]

Yes, well, since CD's are digital, the number of times that you play it does not affect whether it wears down or not. It depends on whether it is scratched or not. The thing is, though, that if it is scratched, when it gets to the point in which it is scratched, because of the interruption in the code, it will just stop playing.

[gerica22]

Yes, that is true. But a lot of CD's, depending on their quality and whether they are dye-based, will degrade over time from exposure to light, etc. I know a few folks who said that CD's they had in their car for a few years are no longer playable, not necessarily from scracthes, but from the dye degrading due to UV light.

[Andrewthevideogamer]

Actually I read on the internet that cd's will stop working in a 100 year even if its in good condition.Thank God we have computers because we can reupload the sound so it can exist