Monthly Archives: August 2016

Elvis with his phonograph/amplifier

When I discovered long ago that I shared my birthday with Elvis, it came as something of a shock. Despite knowing that millions upon millions of people had the same birthday, January 8, somehow I relished the thought of Elvis and I as birthday buddies. When I was a young teen I even bought several of his current hits on 45, including Return to Sender, She’s the Devil In Disguise, and One Broken Heart for Sale. Two of those must have been on one 45, but I can’t recall which, nor the song that filled out the other missing side. I also had such hits as PT 109 by Johnny Horton, The Twist by Chubby Checker, and Hello Dolly by Satchmo. I’m slightly embarrassed by all this, with the exception of Louis Armstrong, who I still revere as a true musical legend. This may be apostasy with regard to Elvis, but I have this sinking feeling that Elvis’s fame, though seemingly immortal, will one day fade away to a footnote. Only his early stuff will, and should, endure as great music; the rest should be forgotten.

That being said, Elvis still exerts a strange fascination which was piqued yesterday in the aftermath of my examining an interesting old portable phonograph in a thrift shop.

it resembled a typewriter, but wasn’t

Opening the lid I saw it was a phonograph, and a very interesting one indeed. It was a Perpetuum Ebner Musical 5v Luxus, as near as I can determine.

Rex, stands for the King

I took a picture of it and went home. Later I did some research. Now I wish I’d bought it, but when I returned this morning it had been sold. Perhaps another buyer had Googled it right on the spot and seen what it was! Maybe I’m fortunate however, seeing as how I really have no use for it, and nowhere to put it.

The point is of course, Elvis had one in Germany. He used it not only for listening to records but as an amplifier for his guitar.

What sort of look is this? Puzzlement, curiosity, or disdain?

the one that got away