The Puck Phonograph is a MARVEL of SCENCE! ANCIENT science! The Puck was a brilliant invention. It was thought up by noted talking machine entrepreneur Gianni Bettini. The Puck did exactly what it was designed to do with no extra frills -- it played a cylinder phonograph record. It soon became apparent that the Puck was a virtually perfect instrument from all standpoints-- it could be inexpensively produced, sold at a reasonable price, and functioned reliably: a virtual "People's Phonograph." Many factories commenced to manufacture Pucks in Germany and France.
Although many Pucks were made with a trivet base in the general shape of a lyre or harp, designers sometimes let their imaginations run wild. This instrument depicts a Mermaid, and she is not shy about sharing her curvaceousness with us! IMPORTANT TO NOTE, the original blue and gold paint of the base is a welcomed relief from the "basic black" of many antique phonograph mechanisms. Likewise, the horns were proof of the fertility of the human mind -- the colors and subtleties of decoration were infinite. This Puck horn still has its original red paint and gold accents. The horn is made of zinc. a metal popular in Europe, which means it will never rust!
Pucks were phonos that grew out of the German tradition of clock-making. The Puck "lets is all hang out," as the saying goes -- here you see the spring-driven motor, key-wound rather like a clock. The mechanism stretched out on a charming casting, culminating in the mandrel on which you put the cylinder record. The motor was very basic, but amazingly effective -- it transmits the motion to turn the cylinder with a STRING instead of a conventional leather belt. Please note -- we will supply the buyer with additional string, in case it becomes necessary to replace the string. The Puck will play any 2-minute cylinder record.
Remember, this is the original factory paint! It is highly unusual to find such well-preserved colors on a machine as unpretentious as this.
Pucks were imported into the USA. Columbia did a land-office business in distributing Pucks in the USA. The Puck was designed with just enough technology to do its job at the time. The Puck will play through one 2-minute cylinder record when fully wound up. The sound quality can only be described as "amazingly loud and clear." The Puck is a decorative artifact which will play a cylinder with surprising results, and the simplicity of it, its technical limitations, actually adds to the appeal, in our opinion. This particular one is a really unusual and pretty example, the Mermaid Puck is truly a delight!. Compare the beauty and cleanliness of this instrument with the kind of rusty, gummy, beat-up and nasty junk you see on eBay.
Care to see it in action? -- request a video of this instrument playing a cylinder record. Any Edison or Columbia record may be used.
Price: $1450.00 US, including TWO 2-minute cylinder records, plus s/h (NY State residents must pay tax, if applicable).
Contact: phonotim@gmail.com
Telephone: 585-244-5546
US Post: Phonophan
PO Box 747
Henrietta, NY 14467 USA