This or That

[vitanola]

Firman's record is nice, a pretty reasonable facsimile of the May 1925 Henderson waxing, but it doesn't have that splendid Armstrong solo, the Charlie Green trombone chorus, or Kaiser Marshall and Charlie Dixon's driving rhythm section. Columbia 395-D is probably my favorite record from 1925 or 1926.

Jelly Roll Morton or Fats Waller?

Golly, that's a hard one!

I much prefer Waller as a soloist, but couldn't do without my Red Hot Peppers records.

Waller, I suppose.

Frank Winegar or B. A. Rolfe?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Frank Winegar or B. A. Rolfe?

B.A. Rolfe

[video=youtube;TgKAh3kq_1s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgKAh3kq_1s[/video]

DC-3/C-47 or Junkers Ju 52?

 

[vitanola]

DC-3/C-47 or Junkers Ju 52?

The Junkers, though I've never flown in one. I've had a soft spot for Tri-motored craft since the days when we used to summer on South Bass Island, air access to which was with the last Ford Tri-Motor in commercial operation.

Soft collar or stiff collar? If stiff, paper or "rubber"?

 

[thecardigankid]

Soft collar

Bill Haley or Frankie Vali?

 

[vitanola]

Soft collar

Bill Haley or Frankie Vali?

Haley, If I must. (I generally care not for electric guitar)

Ericsson D-08

or

Western Electric B-1 Handset Mounting (often known as a "102")

 

[LizzieMaine]

The W-E. The Ericsson would frighten my cat.

Shep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm or Shep Fields and his New Music?

 

[vitanola]

The W-E. The Ericsson would frighten my cat.

Shep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm or Shep Fields and his New Music?

Rippling Rhythm for mine. At times I can be so square that I cut myself on my own edges.



The D-08 is a pretty advanced set for its day. It was introduced in 1908, and was the first subscriber set to feature an anti-sidetone circuit, something that Western Electric ddid not use until the early 1930's. These sets were legendarily sturdy and reliable, and remained in production in one form or another for seventy years. I use a number of these in our current big Victorian house, but when we move in to the new (more sensible) small house we shall only have two sets, a Western Electric 1653 (anti-sidetone) wall set in the kitchen:

and a 151AL desk stand (also anti-sidetone) in the library:

Would you mind my asking which telephone, or which telephones do you prefer, Miss Maine? A D-1 (202) or perhaps a 302? Had your town in Maine a Bell system or an Independent exchange?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Ben Selvin or Leo Reisman?

Ben Selvin and his Orchestra -- You Said It (1931)

[video=youtube;FCWvTe8ZrhQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCWvTe8ZrhQ&feature=related[/video]

Leo Reisman and his Orchestra -- Have A Heart (1931)

[video=youtube;WN3I32jiCuM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN3I32jiCuM[/video]

 

[vitanola]

Ben Selvin

I prefer the brassy effect so common on the Selvin sides to the sweet massed strings which were typical of Reisman, and then, of course the lovely surfaces of the Columbia New Process records can be so much nicer than the occasionally grainy Victor pressings of the period.

For lamps,

Pairpoint or Handel?

 

[ButteMT61]

Pairpoint. Esp. the pair I have that only 3 are known to exist!

Clarke or Baccarat? (Hint, Fairy Lamps, keeping on the subject)

 

[LizzieMaine]

Would you mind my asking which telephone, or which telephones do you prefer, Miss Maine? A D-1 (202) or perhaps a 302? Had your town in Maine a Bell system or an Independent exchange?

I have a 202 in the living room a 302 on my nightstand, and a 151AL on my desk, so that pretty much covers all the dial phone bases. We were New England Telephone all the way here, Bell territory thru and thru -- my mother was a central office operator in Belfast in the early sixties, before dial came in. We did have a few independent companies serving the sticks, but I've never lived in any of their territories.

Sidetone or antisidetone?

 

[vitanola]

I have a 202 in the living room a 302 on my nightstand, and a 151AL on my desk, so that pretty much covers all the dial phone bases. We were New England Telephone all the way here, Bell territory thru and thru -- my mother was a central office operator in Belfast in the early sixties, before dial came in. We did have a few independent companies serving the sticks, but I've never lived in any of their territories.

Sidetone or antisidetone?

Sidetone in my youth, when I would enjoy placing the Receiver at the mouth of the transmitter and listen to the howl. Anti-side tone, these days, as the occasionally distorted digital signals coming from other's telephones are more understandable using this more advanced circuit.

 

[Barbigirl]

Saddle shoes

Betty or Joanie?

 

[rue]

Not sure... a mix?

burrito or taco?

 

[lolly_loisides]

If I can have a margarita, either is fine!

English antiques roadshow or American antiques roadshow?

 

[jamespowers]

Not sure... a mix?

burrito or taco?

What's the difference? Heartburn is heartburn.

Wine or cocktail?

 

[lolly_loisides]

A really fine wine beats a cocktail every time.

 

[jamespowers]

If I can have a margarita, either is fine!

English antiques roadshow or American antiques roadshow?

American as I come across more American antiques.

Cowboy hat or fedora.

 

[jamespowers]

A really fine wine beats a cocktail every time.

Yes but a cocktail doesn't cost me $500.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Betty [Page]
Burrito
Cocktail
Fedora

Hamilton, Waltham or Elgin?

Hawaii or The Bahamas?