'Spaghetti polka'--Felix Jardella (Berliner 345, April 1898)

Berliners were the first disc records. Emile Berliner (inventor of the flat disc gramophone record) first produced a toy gramophone and a series of 5 inch discs to play on it circa 1890. A rather more successful enterprise was started in 1894, marketing 7 inch discs and a range of machines to play them on. Berliner ran into legal difficulties which ultimately forced him out of business in the USA in 1900, however, one of his associates, Fred Gaisberg (who is likely the piano accompanist on this recording), went to England in July 1898 and founded The Gramophone Company Ltd, and another, Eldridge Johnson, soon formed what ultimately became the Victor Talking Machine Company after the demise of the Berliner company.

A note on this transfer: Speed constancy was not a strong suit of either early recording or playback equipment. For this record, I had my turntable set at approximately 74 rpm at the beginning, and where the pitch of the music began to rise due to the decreasing speed of the recording machine, I slowed my turntable down accordingly, to try to keep the music on pitch. By its end I had the speed down to somewhere between 68 1/2 and 69 rpm.

Enjoy!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• gramophone
• Berliner
• talking
• machine
• 78
• rpm
• Victrola
• shellac

[eclecticdufus]

Cathcy tune. You got a lot of sound out of that early disc. The Berliners I have mostly sound fainter. Do you mind letting us know what equipment you used and stylus size?

[PerisphereRec]

@eclecticdufus Homemade turntable using a tone arm from an old Pioneer turntable, a Victor induction disc motor (one of the earliest electric phono motors; this one dates from c. 1926), Grado XF3E+ with 3 mil conical 78 stylus. Preamp: modified Crown IC 150A. Recorded into an Alesis Masterlink in which I did lots of filtering and EQing.  Monitoring: Altec Lansing 9849-8As driven by a Dynaco Stereo 70.

[78toerenEnScans]

Thank you very much! It took a long time before there were any Berliners on youtube (A chime Berliner was for almost 2 years the only one...). Nice tune!

[PerisphereRec]

You're most welcome!

[AccordionManiac]

Wow, well done on restoring this

[PerisphereRec]

Thanks!

[PerisphereRec]

Thanks! I'll look into it.

[PerisphereRec]

Thanks, Ian!

[gabbysbuddy]

Good work Jay! I have a 12 inch cut by Fred's brother Bill! Fred Gaisberg (who is likely the piano accompanist on this recording), went to England in July 1898 and founded The Gramophone Company Ltd,

[PerisphereRec]

Thanks!  Glad you like it!