1899 "Whistling Rufus, The One Man Band" Played on 1901 Columbia AB Graphophone (Brown Wax Cylinder)

Here is my first video featuring the 1901 Columbia model AB "MacDonald" Graphophone from my collection playing one of my 1899 Columbia brown wax cylinder records, "Whistling Rufus, The One Man Band" recorded by Len Spencer for The Columbia Phonograph Company. This is a completely original machine (except the springs which I replaced) and is certainly one of my favorite phonographs as it has a number of innovative design aspects. When this machine was new it probably the best deal that was offered by any cylinder phonograph manufacturer as it had beautiful heavily nickel plated parts, capability to play both standard and grand cylinders and it was only $25! Most customers, however, selected the tried and true Edison Standard instead so the model AB Graphophone is much more difficult to find today - especially in nice condition. I forgot to include the attractive lid in the video which also adds to the eye appeal of the AB. Thanks for stopping in for a visit and I hope you enjoy the video!

[@markostermayer3614]

The song at 6:15 is absolutely wonderful! Great machine too for sure. Interesting to see the motor exposed out in the open like that.

[@philhugill8458]

Thanks for the 'heads up' on this song......I was ready to 'tune out' !!!

[@antiquefreak3128]

Absolutely amazing!!!!! Wonderfull machine.

[@richardvg7670]

What a beautiful and great sounding machine and that is amazing for technology that they had back then

[@pradeepparwana8556]

Wow.. So surprising sir! What a legendary invention of ancient audio device, type of Thomas Alva edition... I feel extremely joy & jovial watching your unique video.. 😊💓💐

[@mspysu79]

Great looking machine, and cool little song. Keep posting those great videos!

[@MusicBoxBoy]

Thanks! Nice to hear from you again!

[@Melissa0774]

When I was learning about Thomas Edison in school, when I was a kid, I heard that they once made a phonograph that was powered by water. Have you ever heard of that? How could something like that work? I thought I heard that it worked by pumping water into it and then the pressure of the water coming back out, makes it play for three minutes. I thought I heard about it in a documentary about Edison, but I don't know if I'm remembering it correctly.

[@Idelia412]

Edison offered a water powered phonograph in the 1890's in a catalog.

[@theghostofsmokeyjoe8792]

@hawkturkey lol

[@philhugill8458]

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada all our music (and everything else) is water powered.......Kelsey Hydro Electric Dam at kettle Rapids Manitoba.

[@Melissa0774]

@@Idelia412 I wonder how it worked. Like, what's the point of pumping water into the machine to turn the motor, when you could just hand crank it? You're doing just as work either way, but with no mess with just a hand crank. Did the water method make it easier to use somehow?

[@lowlightpiano7110]

Repent and trust in Jesus. we deserve Hell for our sins. For example lying, lusing, saying God's name as a cuss word and stealing our just some examples of sin which we can all admit to doing at least one of those. For our sin we deserve death and Hell, but there is a way out. Repent anf trust in Jesus and you will be saved. Repentence is turning from sin. So repent and trust in Jesus. He will save you from Hell, and instead give you eternal life in Heaven. John 3:16 Romans 3:23❤😊❤

[@husbondensrost]

I recognize the melody. I have it on an old gramophone record from the beginning of the 20th century recorded in Sweden as "Grabbarnes Marsch", The Boys March.

[@amiedetherese]

What nice sound quality!

[@e-mananimates2274]

Ah, I never realized that there are phonographs and gramophones that are powered by clockwork energy! As someone who is interested in that kind of technology, this puts a smile on my face!

[@johnfalstaff2270]

Good that Emile Berliner came with his own and much better idea of sound recording.

[@LyneisFilm]

That is a beautiful machine. I am surprised by how small the spring motor housing is compared to my Edison Fireside phonograph. The mechanism must have very low friction.

[@Mr.Charlie_Toldmeso]

Absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing!

[@tiga4180]

Enjoyed listening to your machine & brown wax cylinder! The only brown wax I have is a selection from 'A Country Girl' When I bought it I thought it was an old blank! You may want to look it up as KZbin have removed their video response facility Have fitted a 1920's speaker horn to my 'Edison Standard, it sounds better than the original witches hat horn.

[@knightingalesaid]

That's an awesome piece of history.

[@MusicBoxBoy]

Thanks for the nice comments. A 20's (radio, I presume) speaker horn on an Edison Standard would be fun to see.

[@MusicBoxBoy]

Thanks. Always nice to hear from you.

[@Westtoledoguy]

great machine and great cylinder

[@MusicBoxBoy]

Thanks Sue! What a pleasure it is to see comments like yours. You're very welcome anytime!

[@MusicBoxBoy]

Thanks very much for your comments!

[@Idelia412]

I have always liked Cake Walks as these types of songs were called. I never knew until recently that Black Americans would imitate white people doing waltzes in dance contests to these types of songs. I recently acquired this song on a Regina 27 inch disc. I have numerous cake walks on Regina discs which are catchy tunes. Thanks for sharing!

[@TheGeorgeLansing]

Please post them.

[@philippejenvrin2741]

Thank you Mr Thomas Edison !

[@stevennunn]

I want one!

[@neilfranklin5644]

Be nice to have a c.d. of a history of these early machines playing period recordings, as I got one never realized that it was such an old thing making records of sound.

[@MusicBoxBoy]

You're very welcome. Glad to hear you enjoyed this.

[@thekitowl]

Really enjoying your videos. Subscribed .

[@Strumelia]

Yes, enjoyed it very much. :)

[@MusicBoxBoy]

Interesting. I had never heard of this tune being recorded as a march song. Thanks for the comments!

[@seanrimada8571]

The one thing you are not doing right is record those fantastic antique archive samples with a proper mic that suits a much more modern yet 'oldskool' vibe (warmth might be a characteristic to seek). anyway, thanks for sharing this.

[@RahulKumar-ch9ie]

Amazing 👍👍👍

[@bobboscarato1313]

Pretty nice sound considering its age!!!

[@Ecksterphono]

I think there was even a treadle machine called " The McDonald ". Cylinder type governor weights

[@RAVISHARMA-qo5om]

Wow, Edison's technology is greater than today's space shuttle.

[@michaeloleary1867]

Love it!

[@objectiveobjective1948]

Fantastic piece of music history and great video thanks . If you can find one how much money would this machine ballpark figure cost .. is it in the thousands region ?

[@johnnymoretti]

Thanks for sharing! I have the same Columbia brown wax cylinder and was hoping you could tell me its approximate value. The record is in near perfect condition and plays beautifully on my Columbia Eagle. Love your machine!

[@edithsmith7478]

I am enjoying seeing and learning about all of your music machines. As an ex auction attendee I loved to see the old stuff and got to purchase quite a few things. I wonder if you would explain or tell about wax cylinders. Were they really made of Wax.? Why did they not melt? On this model here I assume there may have been a top but then where would the speaker be kept? Would appreciate a little more information. Thank you.

[@thenorthamericanphonograph1039]

The only true wax cylinders were those for the earliest Graphophones made from 1885-1893 which are very rare and are made by coating a cardboard tube with black ozokerite wax..Edison had cylinders that were white, and collectors and historians call them "White Wax" or" Yellow Paraffin" cylinders, but they are actually based on stearic acid, which is not really a wax, it is waxy but is animal tallow, and then had the additives carnauba wax, bees wax and ceresin wax,. This formula was used to about August of 1888 (lead stearate used for a bit after that). By December of 1888 Aluminum stearate soap was used to make the cylinders, but it was too hard by itself, so they tried to make it softer with red oleic acid, which made the cylinders cut nicely, then the summer came May, June, July of 1889 (these cylinders have a string core) and those blanks started looking moldy, and oily, and they had made many recordings on them which were ruined. Aylsworth who had experimented and made the compounds, worried he was going to lose his job, however decided to replace the oleic with ceresine, and that was the compound that brown wax cylinders are made of. I have made lots of it myself, which I still make and shown how they are made.

[@gabrielepasqualoni7362]

Bell apparecchio ! Complimenti 👌 Credo, però,che ci sia da regolare meglio la costanza della rotazione (wow and flutter ! ) 😏

[@goofyahhslimjackson1942]

6:28

[@pravidas7627]

Hi

[@atuljuyal729]

Plz sir give it to me as a gift 😃

[@lowlightpiano7110]

Repent and trust in Jesus. He's the only way. We deserve Hell because we've sinned. Lied, lusted stolen, etc. But God sent his son to die on the cross and rise out of the grave. We can receive forgiveness from Jesus. Repent and put your trust in him. John 3:16 Romans 3:23❤😊❤😊❤

[@andrewphillips799]

World’s safest bet.....that musician is DECEASED in 2021.

[@rumeunner3245]

I know it's 120 years old, but sounds terrible 😆