Vintage Telephone Ringtones

Edward · Aug 7, 2008

freebird said:
I do remember having to actually dial a phone. When we first moved to our present location we just had to dial the last 4 numbers of the phone number to reach someone in our town.....and that was only 33 years ago.

Our town was like that right up until, if memory serves, 1981.... small-town Ireland....

I use a whole bunch of MP3s as ringtones - essentially, anyone who is likely to call me has their own tone assigned, while I also use certain generics for work contacts (one for colleagues, one for work-related others). My tones vary from the Clash, through various covers of Eddie Cochrane numbers, a few Ramones tracks, Pogues, numbers from Cabaret.... I also have a bunch of tracks on there from an outfit called The Nutley Brass, who specialise in lounge / easy-listening version of classic punk rock material, with particular emphasis on the Ramones.

Best reaction I used to get was when my text alert was Mr T saying "I pity the fool!" amazing the number of people who used to look around with that "what the...?" expression. lol Currently, my text alert is actually a recording of one of my cats purring.

Talbot · Aug 8, 2008

Blackberries (which I refuse to have) come with a sort of vintage ringtone to them. To be different I use a submarine dive alarm for my ringtone. You can hear the claxon easily, and its a little novel. I use the twilight zone lead in for text messages.

Thanks for the site

Talbot

plain old dave · Aug 11, 2008

If somebody could post how to download those as ringtones I would appreciate it...

Maj.Nick Danger · Aug 11, 2008

Maybe I could just record my old Stromberg Carlson's ring and post it here or something? What does it have to be? A .wav file?
Why buy a ringtone if ya don't need to? [huh]

Starius · Aug 11, 2008

Forgotten Man said:
As I do not own a cell my self, my Mother has been using a nice ring-tone that sounds just like my Western Electric 302.

It's nice to hear a bell ring in a public place instead of some digitalized song that sounds more like noise then a song.

I actually use a recording of a Western Electric 302 phone ring on my cell phone. (It can be heard in my little youtube demo actually.)

I've gotten some public reactions to the ring in public areas too. One time when I got a call, I heard someone nearby say, "Hey, where's the old phone?"

BegintheBeguine · Aug 11, 2008

When I played that just now, Starius, Mr. Wong the pug barked to let me know that the telephone was ringing. Yes, Mr. Wong, but not our telephone.

The newest dial telephone in our house is a Northern Telecom from 1970, made in Canada. I'll have to look and see what the oldest is if anyone's interested, but not to-night. My dad and I paid rent to the telephone company for our telephones.

18 months ago I decided that was getting quite expensive and wanted to return them since a new store-bought phone came with the answering machine we installed 10 years ago.The telephone company clerk informed me they'd quit charging those few customers rent a couple years ago since everyone owned their own phones nowadays.

So they're now mine, all mine hundreds of dollars later!

Holyhabanero · Aug 14, 2008

plain old dave said:
If somebody could post how to download those as ringtones I would appreciate it...

Each phone is different, but for my phone, I have the ability to go to a online. So to get the ringtone, I right clicked the ringtone I wanted, and copied the location (ie . http://www.beepzoid.com/ringtones/oldbell3.mp3). Then I opened up my email program and sent my phone an email with the link in the body of the message. Most phones have an email address. To find out yours go here. http://www.sms411.net/2006/07/how-to-send-email-to-phone.html

When the message came to my phone, I selected "options" , then "go to URL". And my phone went and downloaded it. After that all I did was tell it to use the file as my ringtone.

Hope this helps.

zaika · Aug 14, 2008

with my old sidekick, they didn't have any old ringer tones. but with my new one...they do! i'm so glad. lol

Samsa · Aug 17, 2008

Thanks! Added #2 as my ring.

ShesSoVaVaVoom · Aug 22, 2008

I haven't found any vintage telephone type ring tones through my phone and carrier, but I do have the following "vintage" songs:

caller ID calls- Sing Sing Sing (with a swing)

text messages- zoo-baba-da-oo

alarm- Let's Twist Again

Brinybay · Feb 5, 2009

Interesting, I didn't know telephones of different countries had their own "accents". When I first go my cell, the available tunes drove me nuts because no matter what the tune, I kept hearing it over and over in my head. At the time I didn't want a regular ring, so I called the cell company and they sent me a tone of an old Klaxon horn, aka "Arooga" horn. Now that I purchased my first vintage phone, I may start using one of the rings in that list. I can use different ring tones for different people or groups of people.

dahliaoleander · Feb 8, 2009

Kent Allard said:
When my cell phone rings a voice intones "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men... The Shadow Knows!"

Really freaks out anyone standing near me when I get a call.

I LOVE THAT! lol

It's fantastic. I'd kill for that! The tone, the telegraph sound, and the reaction!

Either that or the theme to Dragnet, or any of my J-Pop songs on my phone.

Right now all I have is this Bollywood song I had stuck in my head called "Yeh Mera Dil". I just changed it from Sinatra's "That's Life" Though I also have Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" ... I think.

panamag8or · Feb 11, 2009

Here is a site where you can generate a morse code ringtone based on whatever text you enter:
http://www.planetofnoise.com/midi/morse2mid.php

docneg · Feb 17, 2009

DutchIndo said:
Speaking of vintage phones how many of you remember DIALING a phone !

I don't want to dilute the thread, but how many here still use old phones like I do?

Brinybay · Feb 17, 2009

docneg said:
I don't want to dilute the thread, but how many here still use old phones like I do?

Go to this thread:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=5982

AtomicEraTom · May 12, 2009

Vintage and your Cell Phone

I was wondering if anybody has any vintage ringer(s) or wallpaper(s) for your cell phone.

My text ringer is "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro
General Calls are "To the Aisle" by the Five Satins
My lady-friend's is "You're My Everything" by the Temptations

miss_elise · May 12, 2009

my ring tone is called 'Old times' my phone came with it. Not sure what makes it so old-timey except for sounding a bit classic

Geesie · May 12, 2009

cell... phone? [huh]

Viola · May 12, 2009

I don't have a cell yet.

Elizabeth.F · May 12, 2009

My ringtone is just one that I recorded off of a movie. It's Stanley Laurel from the "Music Box" shouting "He don't want me, he wants the other monkey - YOU!"

It is both hysterical and a little awkward when it rings in a quiet room.

Vintage Telephone Ringtones

One Too Many

A-List Customer

I'll Lock Up

Practically Family

My Mail is Forwarded Here

New in Town

One Too Many

Samsa

Guest

One of the Regulars

Practically Family

One of the Regulars

Practically Family

One of the Regulars

Practically Family

Practically Family

Practically Family

Call Me a Cab

Familiar Face

Similar threads

Log in

Forum statistics