Triple Inchophone

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During their 2005/06 tour the White Stripes sold a small record player at their merch stand. These Triple Inchophones were the trademark red & white of the band and did not sell too well at first, until Jack explained exactly what they were on the bands' official site. [1] The record players were made by a Japanese company called 8-ball Bandai. These record players could only play 3-inch records. When Jack and Meg White invested in buying the machines from the company they were led to believe there were many units ready for distribution; in fact, the company had destroyed all but 400 of their units.

The White Stripes proceeded to buy these remaining 400 units and sell them on tour along with a set of specially made 3-inch singles. The cost price of a unit at the shows was between $150 US and £100 GB. The inchophone can now fetch up to £350 among collectors.

[edit] 3 inch singles

Jack remastered and remixed six of the White Stripes previous releases into a 3-inch format for release with the Triple Inchophone. These included Hotel Yorba, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Fell in Love with a Girl, Seven Nation Army, Hardest Button to Button (with an alternative sleeve), and Blue Orchid (also with an alternative sleeve). Also produced was a previously unreleased track, "Top Special", only ever released in the 3-inch format. The "Top Special" single was rumoured to be limited to only 100 copies. So not even everyone who bought an inchophone got a "Top Special". The term Top Special is a Japanese slang for "best friend", which is loosely what the song is based around.