Mechanical music

How to Understand Common Record Grading and Notations



by Ivy on May 12, 2012

There are many factors in the price of a record as I explaind in “Things you Need to Know When Buying and Selling Vinyl Records/Phonographs“. One of the major factors in the value and/or loss of value of a record/phonograph is damage or defects. In this article I will cover some of the common record [...]

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Things you Need to Know When Buying and Selling Vinyl Records/Phonographs



by Ivy on March 9, 2012

When buying or selling vinyl recodes there are some things you need to know. In this article I will cover some of the more important things you need to know when dealing with vinyl records. Let’s get started with knowing what type of records you have. There are many different sizes of records that have [...]

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My Favorite Phonographs



by admin on February 8, 2009

In this article I wrote about my favorite phonographs. Every collector has their favorite pieces in their collection, this maybe the first piece they bought, a piece they just had to have or the one they cant seem to get their hands on. We all have our favorites, here are mine. Victrola XVIII (18) The [...]

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How to find the age of a Mason & Hamlin Piano



by admin on January 27, 2009

Use the following chart of Mason & Hamlin serial numbers to help determine the age of your piano. The serial number of your Mason & Hamlin piano can be found in several locations, depending on what model of Mason & Hamlin you are trying to date. Mason & Hamlin Serial Number Locations 1. Model B, [...]

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The History of J.P Seeburg Pianos and Orchestrions



by korin on December 20, 2008

In 1887 Justus Seeburg started his career in the piano industry. He spent these years in the Chicago-land area. The first company Seeburg worked for was C.A. Smith this later became Smith, Barnes, and Strohber.  Seeburg then went and worked for Bush and Gertz. After Bush and Gertz he became the manager of the Conover [...]

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How to find the age of a Steinway Piano



by admin on November 23, 2008

Have you ever wondered how old your Steinway piano is? An antique is classified as something over 100 years old. You can read more about the differences between antique and collectibles in the article differences between antiques, collectibles, and vintage item. Steinway has been in business for around 150 years making only 50 years worth [...]

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The History of the Edison Cylinder Phonograph



by admin on October 21, 2008

Thomas Edison’s work on two other inventions, the telegraph and the telephone as a result of this the phonograph was invented. In 1877, Edison was working on a machine that would transcribe telegraphic messages through indentations on paper tape, which could later be sent over the telegraph repeatedly. This development led Edison to wonder if [...]

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The Edison Opera Phonograph



by admin on October 20, 2008

The Edison opera was introduced in November 1911. This superior Edison phonograph was said to have given the best sound of any cylinder or disc machine. This phonograph had a horn-reproducer assembly which made it immobile. The cylinder would move under the stylus. This would produce very little mechanical noise. The reproducer was suspended over [...]

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The Victor Talking Machine Company from 1901-1929



by admin on October 18, 2008

The Victor Talking Machine Company was founded by Eldridge Johnson in 1901, and quickly became a main player in the quickly growing phonograph market. Johnson had been active in the phonograph business as a motor supplier for several years earlier, and had learned an immense deal about the emerging home entertainment market. At the turn [...]

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Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina the 8th Wonder of the world



by admin on September 11, 2008

Hupfeld’s ‘violin player’ was one of the marvels at the World’s Exhibition of 1910 in Brussels. The Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina was made in Germany by Ludwig Hupfeld. Hupfeld was the world’s leading manufacturer of automatic pianos and orchestrions, 1892-1930. They also made rolls circa 1934. Founded in 1892 when Ludwig Hupfeld took over J.M Grob [...]

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