Steam Fi?
We were at the steam fair at the Weald and Down land museum a couple of weeks ago and came across this machine, naturally I thought of this site.
The gentleman that built it exhausts the spent steam out through the horn and says that the denser air resulting makes it louder. We had a happy few minutes listening to some jazz on this beast (78’s of course) and it all sounded rather fine, but had some slight hiss of escaping steam. Apparently one has to use a nice and soft O-ring to retain the diaphragm to avoid resonances, and also replace the needle at each change of sides. He uses a single cylinder motor directly driving the platter via bevelled gear and centrifugal governor.
Well I can report that this worked remarkably well , with no detectable wow and flutter and no tiresome winding of handles. Much art of sound in evidence here don’t you think?
Perhaps I am going mad in my old age, but a few times lately when I have listened to wind- up horn gramophones playing period Jazz on 78’s I have thought how valid the sound was. Never mind about new fangled vinyl and electric reproduction, shellac and a freshly sharpened needle (might) be where it’s at. Perhaps we can get Transcriptors to build a limited run.?
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Isaac Bashevis Singer