Seeburg 1000: Difference between revisions
→External links: Added the External links to the Official Seeburg 1000 Page, Official Seeburg 1000 Facebook Page, Official Seeburg 1000 Twitter Page, and the Category:Background music |
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A release button in the top of the spindle permits the operator to retract the record-holding claws in order to remove the record stack. |
A release button in the top of the spindle permits the operator to retract the record-holding claws in order to remove the record stack. |
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The BMS "1000" received its designation from the fact that it played both sides of 25 records and each side contained 20 songs, hence "1000" songs. The phonographs used the old Pickering "Red-head" mono cartridge, introduced exclusively on Seeburg jukeboxes in the mid-fifties. Although the mono Seeburg jukeboxes used 1 mil styluses and the early stereo Seeburg's used .7 mil styluses, the Background Music Systems used a .5 mil stylus. |
The BMS "1000" received its designation from the fact that it played both sides of 25 records and each side contained 20 songs, hence "1000" songs. The phonographs used the old Pickering "Red-head" mono cartridge, introduced exclusively on Seeburg jukeboxes in the mid-fifties. Although the mono Seeburg jukeboxes used 1 mil styluses and the early stereo Seeburg's used .7 mil styluses, the Background Music Systems used a .5 mil stylus. The BMS phonographs were non-selectable and only played these proprietary formatted 9" records with 2" center holes - sequentially, and at 16 2/3rpm. |
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In comparing the BMS phonographs to the earlier "Library Units" or "Seeburg Industrial Commercial Music" systems is like comparing apples to oranges. The only things that all these phonographs had in common was that they all played records and could be used in the background. The "Library Units" played 45rpm records and the "Seeburg Industrial Commercial Music" systems originally played 78rpm records and later could be converted to play 33 1/3rpm records intermixing 10" and 12" records. Both of these early units held 100 records of any musical genre that the owner or operator wanted to put in them and played both sides, plus the records were selectable. The BMS phonographs were non-selectable and only played "elevator music" on special 9" records with 2" center holes at 16 2/3rpm. |
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In 1963, Seeburg introduced the next generation BMS, the BMS2 <ref>source: SEEBURG "1000" SERVICE MANUAL, May 1963; and THE ALWAYS JUKIN' COLOR GUIDE TO COLLECTIBLE JUKEBOXES, 2006</ref>. This phonograph has been nicknamed "The Microwave" in recent years due to its resemblance to the counter-top kitchen appliance. It is a beautiful machine and was made to be in public view. There was a lighted window where you could see the records playing, the chrome speaker grille and trim made this little phonograph really stand out. These BMS2's were also the first Seeburgs to use transistorized amplifiers, as Seeburg was still using tube (or valve) amps in their full-size jukeboxes. |
In 1963, Seeburg introduced the next generation BMS, the BMS2 <ref>source: SEEBURG "1000" SERVICE MANUAL, May 1963; and THE ALWAYS JUKIN' COLOR GUIDE TO COLLECTIBLE JUKEBOXES, 2006</ref>. This phonograph has been nicknamed "The Microwave" in recent years due to its resemblance to the counter-top kitchen appliance. It is a beautiful machine and was made to be in public view. There was a lighted window where you could see the records playing, the chrome speaker grille and trim made this little phonograph really stand out. These BMS2's were also the first Seeburgs to use transistorized amplifiers, as Seeburg was still using tube (or valve) amps in their full-size jukeboxes. |
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Revision as of 19:42, 4 September 2010
The Seeburg 1000 Background Music System is a phonograph designed and built by the Seeburg Corporation to play background music from special 16-2/3 RPM vinyl records in offices, restaurants, retail businesses, factories and similar locations. It provided a service similar to that of Muzak.
Phonograph
 | This section may require copy editing. (May 2010) |
The Seeburg 1000 phonograph was introduced in 1959 as model BMS1.[1] The system replaced the Seeburg "Library Unit" which served the same purpose, but played standard 45 rpm records. The Seeburg 1000 is enclosed in a metal cabinet 22 inches (55 cm) wide by 14 inches (35 cm) tall by 12 inches (30 cm) deep.[2]
A later version called the Seeburg Background Music Compact, model BMC1, is housed in a windowless, blue and grey painted metal box. This version contains only the record playing mechanism, without any amplifier or timer built in.[3]
The player is capable of playing both sides of up to 28 records and repeating the process indefinitely. The records are stacked on the spindle with the first side to be played on the bottom of the stack. A special tone arm with two needles, one above and one below, is used to play both sides of each record.
A rotating baseplate below the records prevents damage to the bottom playing surface while restacking the records. A similar weight on top of the stack ensures stable playback of the bottom side of the topmost record.
The mechanism causes the lower portion of the spindle to rotate clockwise as a normal record player, while the top half of the spindle rotates counterclockwise to permit the bottom of the record to be played in the correct direction. The spindle contains three sets of retractable claws that hold the records in the upper and lower playing positions, and permit one record at a time to be dropped from the upper to the lower playing position.
A release button in the top of the spindle permits the operator to retract the record-holding claws in order to remove the record stack.
The BMS "1000" received its designation from the fact that it played both sides of 25 records and each side contained 20 songs, hence "1000" songs. The phonographs used the old Pickering "Red-head" mono cartridge, introduced exclusively on Seeburg jukeboxes in the mid-fifties. Although the mono Seeburg jukeboxes used 1 mil styluses and the early stereo Seeburg's used .7 mil styluses, the Background Music Systems used a .5 mil stylus. The BMS phonographs were non-selectable and only played these proprietary formatted 9" records with 2" center holes - sequentially, and at 16 2/3rpm.
In 1963, Seeburg introduced the next generation BMS, the BMS2 [4]. This phonograph has been nicknamed "The Microwave" in recent years due to its resemblance to the counter-top kitchen appliance. It is a beautiful machine and was made to be in public view. There was a lighted window where you could see the records playing, the chrome speaker grille and trim made this little phonograph really stand out. These BMS2's were also the first Seeburgs to use transistorized amplifiers, as Seeburg was still using tube (or valve) amps in their full-size jukeboxes.
The BMS phonographs, if they didn't have a power amplifier or internal speaker, could have an optional pre-amp. The early one was a tube(valve) type and from 1963, transistorized. In 1963, the Seeburg BMCA1 "Companion Audio" speaker/4-watt amp unit was available, which used both tubes and transistors. If you needed more power or didn't have an amp, Seeburg had the HFA4-56, 60 watt tube (valve) amp available.
Records
The Seeburg Background Music record is a vinyl record of a non-standard size of 9 inches (23 cm) diameter with a 2 inch (5 cm) center hole. The recording is monaural, with a playing speed of 16⅔ rpm and a density of 420 grooves per inch.[2] A 0.5 mil diamond stylus is used for reproduction. Each side contains approximately 40 minutes of music, typically 20 songs. Records in every series are numbered 1-28 or 101-128. These numbers tell you nothing except where the record was supposed to go in a stack.
The records were distributed quarterly in boxes of seven. The operator was supposed to replace records in the system with new records of the same number (i.e. MM-125). Each box is labeled with the library type, date to place in service, and instructions to the operator. These instructions also specify that each record is to be returned to Seeburg after use. Upon return, the records were destroyed. A Basic library box from 1971 states that the records are the property of Seeburg Music Library, Inc., 1510 N. Dayton St, Chicago 22, Ill.
Music
Seeburg provided three different libraries of music with the Seeburg 1000 system: Basic, Mood and Industrial. These series names were changed to Lifestyle, Penthouse, and Upbeat in the 1980s.
The Basic library consisted of medium tempo music, culled from top 40 hits, show tunes and standards. The arrangements, created just for Seeburg, were nearly all instrumental and featured horns, strings and keyboards.
The Mood library consisted of medium-slow tempo songs, in lush arrangements with mostly stringed instruments. The music derived from standards, show tunes and some pop music. The first song on each side of each record was often a current pop hit.
The Industrial library consisted of medium-fast tempo music of a lively nature, to induce workers to be more productive. This was perhaps the most varied and adventurous of the libraries; it contained polkas, mariachi music, twangy guitar, Hawaiian songs, and even the occasional synthesizer.
A fraction of the records were changed out every three months - on April 1, July 1, October 1 and December 26. The number of records changed at each three-month interval was five in 1963[5] but was seven according to record boxes issued in 1966 and later. The first sets of Seeburg 16 rpm records issued in 1959 had a five-pointed star in the space later used for the "place-in-use" dates. This was superseded by a notice which read "Replace No. 1", "Replace No. 5" etc. This meant "Replacement Records - Set No. 1", "Set No. 5" etc. In 1961, this was again superseded by the "place in use" dates which were in use through the end of 1975. For the April 1, 1976 sets, the "place in use" dates were replaced by a code: RR-66. This meant "replacement records - set #66" and the number advanced with each subsequent set. As time went on, the records were sent out less and less on schedule. The last sets were sent out in 1986 and bore the code R-97.
The Christmas holiday season required a special set of records. A box of 25 Christmas records was issued to be played during the month of December. This set consisted of Christmas music interspersed with non-holiday music.
It was the job of the machine operators to replace all Christmas music with the standard fare on December 26. This job was a large undertaking - in New York, "the entire service and installation force, and even the office help, are pressed into service to still the sound of Christmas past for another 11 months."[5]
References
- ^ Installation Manual, Seeburg '1000' Background Music System, Model BMS1
- ^ a b Biro, Nick (July 20, 1959). "Seeburg Background Music Move Part of Diversification Program". Billboard. New York. p. 67.
- ^ Engineer's Manual, Seeburg '1000' Background Music Compact, Type BMC1
- ^ source: SEEBURG "1000" SERVICE MANUAL, May 1963; and THE ALWAYS JUKIN' COLOR GUIDE TO COLLECTIBLE JUKEBOXES, 2006
- ^ a b Kunis, Solomon (Dec. 21, 1963). "Background Music Important Phase of Atlantic-N.Y. Operation". Billboard. New York. p. 44.
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