[Dixielandjazz] Edison's Amberola

[Dan Augustine]

Assorted DJML and other gearheads--
     I really enjoyed Brian Wood's excerpt from 
his book _The Song Is You_ on an outline of the 
history of recording techniques.  I forwarded it 
to some friends of mine, and got a reply from 
fellow dixieland-tubapicker Jim Schwobel here in 
Austin.
     The 'Amberola' is a device i had never heard 
of before, and he listed some songs that i 
thought might be vaguely related to early 
jazz/ragtime, so i'm sending you this information 
as an addendum to Mr. Wood's fine message.  Jim 
(whom i play tuba next to in three bands and 
substitute for in another) also included a 
photograph of the Amberola, which i can't include 
in this message, but if you would like to see it, 
email me and i'll send it to you directly. 
(There is also a webpage on the Amberola at:
http://www.intertique.com/EdisonAmberolaTutorial.html.)

     Dan

c: Jim Schwobel
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Dan,
>>
>>Thanks for the article on the brief history of recording techniques.
>>
>>As luck would have it, I have some knowledge of 
>>Edison's cylinder recordings and players, 
>>specifically his Amberola Model 30 (which meant 
>>it cost $30 around 1915 ). The Model 30 was the 
>>first of several models numbered 30, 50 and 75, 
>>again, the numbers representing the price of a 
>>new one at that time.
>>
>>My great-grandparents bought the Amberola Model 
>>30 around 1915 and when their 11 children 
>>became adults, moved out and married, it 
>>was shared for various lengths of time among 
>>the few of them who happened to live in remote 
>>locations, like my grandparent's on their ranch 
>>in Eldorado. Along with the Amberola were 30 
>>music cylinders made of the more durable 
>>resin/plastic-like material, not the earlier 
>>wax cylinder.
>>
>>My grandmother's side of the family has an 
>>annual reunion in Johnson City and we share 
>>lots of old photos, documents and artifacts 
>>relating to our family's heritage. At some of 
>>the reunions, we fire up the Amberola and some 
>>of the older folks (we are talking relatives in 
>>their 80s and 90s) will get up and dance.
>>
>>For the past 5 years, I was the keeper of 
>>the Amberola along with the cylinders but at 
>>our recent reunion on June 7, I passed it along 
>>to another relative. If there was any interest 
>>among our bands and friends, I could retrieve 
>>it and we could "party down" with it.
>>
>>The Amberola mechanics and cabinet were in 
>>relatively good condition with the exception of 
>>the wind-up spring which had lost a lot of it's 
>>spring and you had to keep winding it just to 
>>get through a 4-minute cylinder at a constant 
>>tempo. As you can imagine, that made it 
>>difficult for a couple to listen to music and 
>>be romantic at the same time. About half of the 
>>cylinders were in fair to good condition with 
>>the remaining suffering from cracks that would 
>>allow you to listen to only half or less of 
>>each tune.
>>
>>I originally thought that the Amberola and 
>>cylinders would be of great monetary value but 
>>that is not so. There are several web sites 
>>where collectors sell the Amberola Model 30 for 
>>$300 to $500 and I have seen cylinders on eBay 
>>for $5. Of course the value to our family is 
>>priceless.
>>
>>Below is some additional information I found 
>>and shared with the family, along with the list 
>>I compiled of tunes in our cylinder "library".
>>
>>Regards,
>>Jim Schwobel
>>These photos are of another Amberola 30, not the one in our family.
>>Dimensions are approximately 15" wide, 24" deep and 20" tall.
>>It might be considered the "portable" model as 
>>later models were larger and came with legs, 
>>actually looking like furniture.
>>
>>Edison Amberola Model #30
>>This Edison Amberola was Thomas Edison’s 
>>smallest of three internal horn cylinder models 
>>introduced in February of 1915. It was the 
>>first phonograph to utilize cylinders.
>>Earlier models had roman numerals but quickly 
>>got confusing so in 1915 Edison consolidated 
>>the Amberolas into three models defined by the 
>>dollars needed to buy one: the 30 sold for $30, 
>>the 50 for $50, and the 75 for $75. Later 
>>machines include the Model 60 and the floor 
>>model 80, made in 1928.
>>In 1915 this oak table model sold for $30.00. 
>>By 1918, they sold for $41 because of inflation 
>>caused by the War. They were produced until 
>>1926.
>>These machines play 4 minute cylinders, which 
>>are the most common type, at 90 revolutions per 
>>minute. Their sound is superior to most open 
>>horn models.
>>This was just the beginning of the phonograph. 
>>For the next 50 years, the phonograph and the 
>>cylinder were constantly improved.
>>Phonographs produced by other companies were 
>>the Victrolas and Grafonolas. The "-ola" suffix 
>>was always used to denote internal horn 
>>machines.
---------------
I asked him some questions about this machine, and here are his answers:

>Q1: Would you approve of my sending a somewhat 
>abbreviated version of it (minus the photograph, 
>which can't be used on DJML) to them?
>A1: Yes, that would be fine. My guess is that 
>your article will be centered around the 
>artists/music but if germane to your article, my 
>great-grandparents were named Peter and Alma 
>Birck. They met and married in Indianola, Texas 
>after their respective ships arrived and before 
>they travelled to Central Texas. They were some 
>of the first wave of German settlers in the New 
>Braunfels and Fredericksburg area - later, they 
>lived near Johnson City and Mason.
>
>It might also be interesting to know that the 
>family decided against donating the Amberola to 
>a museum when I told them that it was not 
>really a rare antique and would probably be 
>relegated to storage. Even if it were to be 
>displayed, the cylinders would likely never be 
>heard. We decided to continue the family 
>tradition of sharing it among family.
>
>When I show it to the youngsters in our family, 
>I ask them to compare it with how they listen to 
>music today, emphasizing the quality and 
>quantity they have available just about 
>anywhere: at home, in the car, in the small 
>player they can carry in their shirt-pocket. I 
>also tell them that in 1915, this was the 
>"portable" model!
>
>Q2: A couple of those tunes look like they might 
>be early jazz or at least popular ragtimey 
>songs.  Do you have any more info about them, 
>such as the dates of each cylinder, and/or the 
>players?
>A2: There is very little information on each 
>cylinder other than the tune, artist and if I 
>recall correctly, a manufacturer's catalog 
>number. I included all that in the list I 
>compiled off the 30 cylinders. It would require 
>some additional research on the Internet to find 
>out more about each tune/artist.
>
>I had previously done some cursory research on 
>one of the artists, Cal Stewart, and found the 
>following:
>
>An all-time favorite performer from the early 
>1900s, Cal Stewart (1856-1919) spent much of his 
>younger years working in circuses, medicine 
>shows and vaudeville. In 1897, Stewart started 
>recording comic shows in which he played Uncle 
>Josh Weathersby. His comic monologues consisted 
>of Uncle Josh’s experiences as a country bumpkin 
>in a small rural town and Uncle Josh’s 
>experiences in New York City.
>
>
>Q3: Have you ever tried to record the sound from 
>the cylinders onto a cassette or CD (obviously 
>not electronically, but by holding a microphone 
>to the speaker, the microphone being attached to 
>a recording device)?
>A3: I thought about that but I wanted to do a 
>bit more sound-improving maintenance to the 
>Amberola before doing so. I think it would 
>benefit from a new needle, a new sound board as 
>well as a new mainspring (all of these parts are 
>readily available on the Internet. At next 
>year's family reunion, I'll try to wrestle it 
>away again so I can perform some additional 
>maintenance/refurbishing.
>
>Q4: Also, how do you know what the correct speed 
>was for playing the cylinders?
>A4: The player is governed to play at 90 RPM. 
>I'm not sure how that mechanism works but I'm 
>sure one of the related Web sites would treat 
>that topic.
>
>Q5: You wind it up, right?
>A5: Yes. If I recall, about 6 turns would wind 
>it up tight. This may be different with a new 
>spring.
>
>Q6: and then it plays the cylinder at a certain 
>rotational speed, but what is that speed, and 
>how do you know it's correct?
>A6:  (90 RPM) I have not calibrated the Amberola 
>but when I first got it 5 years ago, I would 
>play tunes with a full wind-up and they sounded 
>about right for half off the tune before slowing 
>down, then I’d have to wind it up again and 
>could do so while the tune was playing. I have 
>never been able to hear an entire 4-minute tune 
>with one wind-up but I think a new spring is 
>supposed to last for the entire tune. Again, 
>more research would shed light on how the 
>Amberola should perform.
>

--------------------------------
These are the cylinders Jim has:

Title 
Artist                Catalog #
Grosser Gott wir loben dich                    Nebe Quartett         26069
Silver Starr                                     Ada Jones & Murray      1858
Dixie Medley (Banjo)                           Van Epps                   1532
Rainbow                                          Jones and Murray         1884
Felix Diaz 
Banda de Policia          22079
War Talk at Pun'kin Center                   Cal Stewart                2657
Peg O' My Heart                               Van Brunt                   2036
When the Midnight Choo-Choo                Collins & Harlan            1719
Lauterbach and Hi-Le-Hi-Lo (With Yodels)   G. Watson                 2789
All for the Girlies                              One-Step Band            2276
Die Kapelle                                      Nebe Quartett          26060
Uncle Josh Buys an Automobile                Cal Stewart              1583
Tip-top Tipperary Mary                         Phillips & Cho.           2555
Kiss Me, My Honey, Kiss Me                    Jones & Murray           1634
A Nights Frolic-Descriptive                     Brass Orchestra           2606
Where is My Wandering Boy Tonight?         Edison Mixed Quartett   2125
Laughing 
Love Band                 1732
Wacht am Rhein & Deutschl and Uber Alles  Manhattan Quartett     2469
Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts for Soldiers      B. Murray                 2530
An Afternoon in June                            Murray & Belmont        2272
Silver Threads Among the Gold                Oakland                    1547
Preacher and the Bear                          Collins                     1560
Medley of Old-Time Tunes (Accordion Solo)   Frosini                      4129
Just Before the Battle, Mother                Oakland & Cho.           1516
The Death of Floyd Collins                      V. Dalhart & Co.         5049
Over the Waves Waltz                          N. Y. Military Band       1506
We'll Have a Jubilee in My Old Kentucky Home   B. Murray & Cho.    2748
Molly Dear, It's You I'm After Medley    One Step Nat’l Prom. Band   2851

-- 
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**  Dan Augustine  --  Austin, Texas  --  ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu
**  "The less a science is advanced, the more its terminology tends 
**   to rest on an uncritical assumption of mutual understanding."  
**             -- Willard V. Quine in _Word and Object_             
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