Why are there so many in Portland? One sold this week on Craigs list and it is more than a rumor that the seller has two more that he wont sell. Just a couple of years ago one showed up at a garage sale and another at an antique store. I think that more have survived than we think. I just hope I am the next one to find one here. Al Menashe ----- Original Message ----- From: <TAEdisonJR at aol.com> To: <phono-l at oldcrank.org> Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2007 8:51 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Auxetophone Sold! > While I do not mean in any way to denigrate Jasper Sanfilippo's > Auxetophone > -- the only example known to survive with a functioning original air > blower -- > I must say that the few times I've heard it in action it has not come > close > to comparing to the four original and one reproduction machines I've > heard > (including my own early "Queen Anne" version) with new compressors made by > Paul Baker. Fundamentally the original and reproduction blowers are > designed to > do the same thing -- supply a high volume of forced air through the > reproducer -- and they work in the same way, with a conventional electric > motor > powering a high-speed blower. The difference is in efficiency. One of the > chief > drawbacks to the Auxetophone was the very high maintenance requirements. > The > original blower bearings required nearly constant oiling -- at least once > a day > -- and the oil vapors were so problematic that a complex system was > devised to > condense some of the vapor to minimize corrosion of the soundbox. There > are > two sets of air filters which also required daily replacement. > > Jasper's collection is simply too large for the Auxetophone to undergo > daily > oiling and changing of filters. This year the machine was not demonstrated > because it was out of order. The rather weak response of the machine in > the > times I've seen it demonstrated is surely due to incorrect adjustment or > maintenance of the blower. The phonograph has a HUGE horn, much larger > than > originally supplied, and that alone accounts for much of its sound volume. > A good > Exhibition reproducer with a horn of that size would virtually match the > volume > on that particular Auxetophone. > > All of the other working Auxetophones I've heard will blow that one away, > no > pun intended. The Baker blower units look like the original but have > sealed > bearings that are maintenance-free. Properly adjusted, an Auxetophone is > literally painful to the ears if you stand too close. It's easy to > understand why > this machine had limited appeal, aside from its excruciatingly high > original > price of $500, which was considered a good annual salary in 1906. There is > no way to control the volume, it is either on or off. It's definitely loud > enough to fill a room, but don't get too close! > > There is a very, very brief clip of mine included near the end (at about > 1:30) of a 2001 local newscast now on YouTube at > _http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_tSqgV2_qI_ > (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_tSqgV2_qI) . You can get just > a tiny sense of how loud it is when you hear how much it overpowers my > own > voice as I comment on it. I also have pictures posted on my website at > _http://members.aol.com/antiquephono/auxeto.htm_ > (http://members.aol.com/antiquephono/auxeto.htm) . > > These are truly amazing machines! > > Best regards, > Rene Rondeau > > > > > > ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL > at > http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.15/949 - Release Date: 8/12/2007 > 11:03 AM >