Not Model A - BUT it could be. . .

Mike in NRN IN

Mike in NRN IN

Senior Member
I was the highest bidder for an antique 'picnic' record player (Birch). From what I can tell these were popular into the 40‛s -

So now, I'm looking for some period music in the form of 78’s to play while I'm hanging out at the car shows.

I cranked it up today and put on a few of the disks I purchased at a Pawn shop 25 years ago - and man is this thing loud! Unfortunately, all I have are Irish ballads, and a few opera arias and most of the disks are from 1905-1915.

Any songs/performers I should be looking for that would be closer to the Model A era?

I appreciate the willingness to humor me, just this once.
 
I collect gramophones - one 78 is a must --- "The Little Ford Rambled
Right Along". Its by Billy Murry and goes waaaaaaay back. A number of other owners on the Forum also have and mentioned this record.......May be difficult to find today.
 
Those needles are real tough on the records. The reason they sell them in in hundreds is because you are supposed to replace them every couple of records.

Jazz, big band ect.
 
Replace the needle each play or as Mike says a couple of plays. Most machines have as much as 22° of error. The needle is round and toward the end of the record looks like a chisel. It tears the records inner grooves up. Pick up a needle and rotate it, if it glints toss it and never turn them in their holder (reproducer)
As to your question just about any Buff Blue Bird will be good and from the proper period.
I have a few thousand cylinders and five thousand or so 78's. if you were close by I'd help you out.
When Henry ford Apologized to Me is a must have.
I was a phonograph and record collector for years, not so much anymore. Goodwill sill has them. Any Victor with a V number will be good, and valuable.
Have fun, it is a kick.
BTW records from the 30's was one of my specialties, hard to find.
Rock from the 50's another.
 
If it were me I would save the record player for display and use an MP3 player with small amplified speakers. I made a cd (mp3 players were not as common then) a few years ago for a friend to use at car shows. If I remember right it was greats like Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Ella Fitzgerald and count Basie. I'd even had a commercial for Lucky Strike cigarettes, advertising how they soothed your throat. You might try going to dismukes.org. It's a site dedicated to vintage music. He has them categorized by years. Some really great and obscure stuff!
 
Great information! I played a few disks last night - and my kids LOVED IT! I'll have to check out

"Can you imagine sitting outside at a picnic and having to change the record all the time?" (not to mention the needles!)

"Where's the volume control?"

"He sounds like a chipmunk!"

It was really funny when it started slowing down as the spring unwound - lots of laughter - sure is cooler than watching an iPod.

I picked up a box of 10" 78s at Goodwill - they were cheap - $10 for a box of 20 - even had some little known musician named Bing Crosby in the mix. I have no idea how good, what age or if they will play.

;)
 
sidhartha said:
If it were me I would save the record player for display and use an MP3 player with small amplified speakers. I made a cd (mp3 players were not as common then) a few years ago for a friend to use at car shows. If I remember right it was greats like Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Ella Fitzgerald and count Basie. I'd even had a commercial for Lucky Strike cigarettes, advertising how they soothed your throat. You might try going to dismukes.org. It's a site dedicated to vintage music. He has them categorized by years. Some really great and obscure stuff!
Click to expand...
My wife put together a bunch of era music like this on her MP3 player that she plays inside my rig during shows. Adds a nice touch. A couple of AA batteries last for a couple of days!
 
This site is a great resource for info and help regarding wind-up phonographs... sort of the "Fordbarn" of talkign-machines...

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/index.php

( Making-up mp3's and I-pod playlists of antique music and playing it through a modern sound system is neat, and often convenient, but it would be sort of like taking a video of your car, downloading it to your smart-phone, and then taking that to the show, and leaving Lizzie at home... :( )

Another "must-have" would be "Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie", recorded by Billy Jones and Ernie Hare: The Happiness Boys. :)

ANYTHING by Billy Murray is also great. Look for dance music recorded by Paul Whiteman, the Benson Orchestra of Chicago, etc...

And change the needle every side. Wyatt's Musical Americana has new needles for something like $3 / 500.

Enjoy !

:cool:
 
CarlG said:
My wife put together a bunch of era music like this on her MP3 player that she plays inside my rig during shows. Adds a nice touch. A couple of AA batteries last for a couple of days!
Click to expand...

I converted an old Drive in speaker to work with mp3's so my wife could do this.
 
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