A Complete Manual of the Edison Phonograph

A Complete Manual of the Edison Phonograph By George E. Tewksbury With Introduction By Thomas A. Edison The preparation of this modest work has been undertaken for two reasons. First, there is no guide to the standard Edison Phonograph as now manufactured in its perfected form. Mr. Andem's excellent book describes in graceful phrase the machine of several years ago, before the new shaving device and other changes had been adopted, and before the day of the spring motor. The instrument has since been perfected, and the field of its usefulness broadened. Improvements in motors, batteries, speakers, the use of special glasses, and the advent of many new devices, daily suggest questions which had not then arisen. The art of record making likewise has advanced, and more inquirers, amateur and professional, want to know about this fascinating employment. The attempt, therefore, is made to give practical directions in plain language as to various operations which an every-day experience of nine years has suggested or invited, and which are the subject of constant inquiry, particularly from beginners, such as adjusting the tension of the twin-nut spring, setting the diaphragm, the building-up of speakers, how to shave, the kinds and use of horns, the way to make records, the adjustment of sapphires, and other kindred subjects. Secondly, to save time, impossible as that may sound. For these pages have not been written in moments of idleness, but in the strife and stress of busy working-days, when sometimes the hours seemed too few for the daily task. To save time, then, by answering questions more faithfully than the hurry of a daily business mail would allow, when indeed many things could be touched upon not at all; to explain what obscure causes will produce simple results; to help where help is needed; and to make easier and more delightful that enjoyment which the great genius of Mr. Edison, and the work of his followers, has made possible. ..................................................................................................... The standard Edison Phonograph as now manufactured is made in two forms, known as the Electric Phonograph, or class M machine, and the Spring Motor Phonograph... CONTENTS Preface List of Illustrations Index of Phonograph Parts Introduction Types of Phonograph Phonograph Body Motor and Governor Operating the Machine Special Directions Index of Spring Motor Parts Edison Spring Motor Batteries Nickel-in-the-slot Phonographs Dictating and Transcribing Phonograph Cylinder Horns and Tubes Shaving of Cylinders Speakers and Glasses Index of Speaker Parts Record-making ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Windham Press is committed to bringing the lost cultural heritage of ages past into the 21st century through high-quality reproductions of original, classic printed works at affordable prices. This book has been carefully crafted to utilize the original images of antique books rather than error-prone OCR text. This also preserves the work of the original typesetters of these classics, unknown craftsmen who laid out the text, often by hand, of each and every page you will read. Their subtle art involving judgment and interaction with the text is in many ways superior and more human than the mechanical methods utilized today, and gave each book a unique, hand-crafted feel in its text that connected the reader organically to the art of bindery and book-making. We think these benefits are worth the occasional imperfection resulting from the age of these books at the time of scanning, and their vintage feel provides a connection to the past that goes beyond the mere words of the text.