[78-L] Dumb Gennetts

[Don Chichester]

There's one at the Musical Wonder House in Wiscasset, Maine.  In addition to music boxes galore, he has vintage phonographs.
 Don Chichester
> From: smille1 at nycap.rr.com
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Date: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 13:24:02 -0500
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Dumb Gennetts
> 
> Right, EMG machines for one with their huge paper mache horns were in use
> well into the 50s. You'd have to hear one to believe it, but the sound one
> of these (properly adjusted) machines is actually rather mind blowing to say
> the least! I'd love to find one on this side of the pond, but so far no
> luck. I do own an HMV 163 though, a relatively recent find, and it gives
> the Credenza a run for it's money!
> 
> Sean
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
> [mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of David Lennick
> Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2010 1:17 PM
> To: 78-L Mail List
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Dumb Gennetts
> 
> If you read some of the old issues of Gramophone (and they're online),
> you'll 
> find a preference among some reviewers for the more "pure" sound of
> acoustical 
> machines as opposed to the tubbiness or distortion from radiograms. Reviews
> of 
> classical album sets even advise whether to play with steel or thorn
> needles, 
> down to individual sides in some cases.
> 
> dl
> 
> Matthew Duncan wrote:
> > I think that record buyers in Britian had acoustical players until the 40s
> on mass due to cost of more advanced equipment rather than a preference
> coupled with the fact that so many homes didn't have electricity until the
> WWII period at all or perhaps in only one part of any building.
> > 
> > I wouldn't know about the equivalent matters in the US surrounding this
> though.
> > 
> > I definitely agree with you surrounding the 'wear test' and 78s recorded
> 'too well'.
> > 
> > Matthew Duncan
> > UK
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ________________________________
> > From: David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
> > To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> > Sent: Sat, 9 January, 2010 18:00:26
> > Subject: Re: [78-L] Dumb Gennetts
> > 
> > I don't see how you could "dumb down" the sound without dubbing it or how 
> > Varsity reissues could be better if dubbed from the issued versions,
> unless 
> > someone was a genius at EQing. It is true however that records recorded
> "too 
> > well" would fail the wear test. I also understand that because so many 
> > collectors in Britain preferred acoustical players, many recordings were 
> > equalized to play well on those machines.
> > 
> > Then there are those Edith Piaf Polydors, which seem equalized to sound as
> if 
> > they're being PLAYED on an acoustic machine.
> > 
> > dl
> > 
> > Malcolm Rockwell wrote:
> >> Thanks, Al.
> >> So Gennett "dumbed down" the stampers? If the Varsity pressings are 
> >> better that would mean that the mother was untouched and new stampers 
> >> were pulled from the "clean" mother. Still can't see how low-end 
> >> response would be cut doing that.
> >> Malcolm
> >>
> >> *******
> >>
> >> Al Haug wrote:
> >>> Kennedy in 78Q number 8, page 47. Opinion on Varsity is my own.
> >>>
> >>> 2010/1/8 Malcolm Rockwell <malcolm at 78data.com>
> >>>
> >>> 
> >>>> Who wrote it and what issue is it in?
> >>>> Malcolm
> >>>>
> >>>> *******
> >>>>
> >>>> Al Haug wrote:
> >>>> 
> >>>>> An article in 78 Quarterly stated that Gennett regularly "dumbed down"
> >>>>> 
> >>>> their
> >>>> 
> >>>>> sound quality so the records would sound ok on the wind-up phonographs
> >>>>> 
> >>>> that
> >>>> 
> >>>>> their hillbilly and blues customers were likely to have, much to the
> >>>>> 
> >>>> chagrin
> >>>> 
> >>>>> of their engineers. Varsity reissues of this material often sounds
> >>>>> 
> >>>> better.
> >>>> 
> >>>>> 2010/1/8 Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> >>>>>
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