Tips for Playing 78s

Sounds like we're shopping in the same circle's.

 

We have some confusion here. Up to 1925, it's true 78s had no electronic equalization, because they were recorded acoustically--by the original, entirely mechanical horn-and-diaphragm method. No electricity involved. Hence, records from that period should be played flat. After 1925, microphones and electronic recording gear quickly became universal, or nearly so; yes, a few holdouts like Edison stayed with acoustic recording a bit longer, but by 1930 I don't think anybody was still making records by the acoustic method. Electric recordings do have equalization curves, and those curves varied wildly up until the end of the 78 era. Some companies were more consistent than others, but in just about all cases those equalization guides for various labels are a starting point, not commandments chiseled in stone. For those, a preamp with a variety of settings, like the Graham Slee Jazz Club that is in my system, is a godsend.

Can't say as I agree; I routinely play 78s with diamond styli, mostly truncated ellipticals from Expert Stylus, and I've never seen any record wear. (Stylus wear is another matter!) Nor would I expect to; standard 78s, or at least those up into the late '30s, were built to withstand many playings with steel needles in acoustic reproducers imposing tracking force in pounds, not grams, and even many of the earlier electrical pickups that supplanted them were unimaginably heavy by modern standards and relied on--steel needles. The records are barely going to notice a modern, high-compliance stylus assembly tracking at a gram or two. (Of note, I mostly play 78s with Shure V15Vx-MR cartridges, mounted on SME arms, that track at a lower force than often is recommended as necessary for 78s.) The real concern, which you discussed elsewhere, is to choose a stylus that avoids the damaged area of a groove. Depending on the record's play history, that may mean a larger stylus in a more modern groove that normally would take something around 3 mil, or a smaller stylus in a very old groove that is wider, or vice versa. The process of choosing an appropriate stylus size is largely a matter of trial and error, but it's amazing how the sound often "snaps into focus" when the selected size matches the optimum level of the groove.

 

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about acoustic recordings!

 

As long as you replace the needle after every play, the wear to shellac 78s with a steel needle actually isn't that great. Here's a record that was played 100 times on a Victor Orthophonic (tracking at about 135 grams!) with a new steel needle every time:

 

Steel needles and Victor Orthophonic players are perfectly fine for acoustically recorded discs and early electrical recordings, such as the Columbia Viva-tonal pictured above, but I wouldn't play anything issued after 1928 on such a machine, such as my Victor issue of Paul Whiteman's "Mississippi Mud" which includes vocals by The Rhythm Boys (of which Bing Crosby was a member). There are dynamics on that record that an acoustical reproducer just couldn't handle, and at the VTF at which the Victor Orthophonic reproducer tracks, I'd be fearful that all the low frequency sounds of the string bass would get damaged. I'm aware that shellac isn't a soft substance, but Orthophonic reproducers don't treat 78s as well as say a Philco "Beam of Light" pickup and tonearm from 1941. The "Beam of Light" pickup was unique. The stylus was attached to a mirror that vibrated along with the stylus. An exciter lamp in the tonearm bounced its beam off the mirror and into a photoelectric cell, sort of like the way sound-on-film 35mm prints were played in theaters. While the stylus wasn't user-replaceable, it was sapphire and Philco sold replacement assemblies including the mirror attached to the stylus. I own one of these and have two tonearms for it, one of which was modified to take a low-output crystal cartridge with either a steel or a sapphire stylus. Having rebuilt the "Beam of Light" stylus myself, removing the old jewel and cementing another one from a Pfanstiehl 700-D3 onto the mount where the old stylus had been, the optical pickup sounds great, with minimal surface noise. To hook this into a hi-fi system, one needs a high impedance microphone input. It works well, but I just use it as an upright radio with a 78 rpm changer behind the speaker. I too, own a Victor Orthophonic Victrola, however I only play acoustically recorded discs on it, as those are what it was designed to play and yes, I change the needle after each side is played.

The Anson Weeks record in your video is of the early electrical type that an Orthophonic reproducer could handle without excessive wear. I'd keep my Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey Victors away from that unit, though as well as my Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw Bluebirds. I have to treat each 78 as being the last copy of a recording that may ever cross my path, especially if it's in good shape, whether it arrives barefaced or sleeved. Too many treasures of the pre-vinyl era no longer exist in vaults, and so 78 rpm discs may be the only sources to use if we're discussing lesser selling bands like Bob Chester, Anson Weeks (for whom Dale Evans was his singer before marrying Roy Rogers!), Ozzie Nelson, Dick Robertson, Dick Jurgens, etc. Guy Lombardo 78s are a dime a dozen, and while he may have outsold all the other bands of the big band era, his records aren't sought-after today. Then, there are rare blues and country 78s. Bessie Smith's Columbias, Bo Carter's Bluebirds and Alberta Hunter's Paramounts aren't easily found in good condition, nor are those of The Carter Family or Jimmie Rodgers (not the Roulette artist of the 1950s!). Any jazz artist on Gennett is worth salvaging. But this thread isn't so much about WHAT to collect as it is about how to properly play them with modern equipment. GE RPX series (both single stylus and turnover models) can be found on eBay, even if you have to buy it installed in a junked record changer. You can spend all outdoors on the Premium Grado 78 rpm cartridge, which is simply there best stereo model strapped to mono with a 3.0 mil stylus in it, or you can get a used Pickering P/AC or V-15 series or Stanton 500 series cartridge (these are all pretty much the same cartridge bodies, but the P/AC has higher output than the others) and then buy the styli of your choice from Esoteric Sound or Expert Stylus Company in the UK (masters at re-tipping used styli). Most of my advice is directed toward those interested in archiving vintage recordings. Casual listeners could just get an old classroom portable phono, flip the turnover stylus to "78" and play away, bearing in mind that while you can hear the music on your 78s, the fidelity will be compromised by RIAA EQ in the player's amplifier stage. RIAA compensation begins at just over 1 KHz, where high frequency rolloff begins and as the frequency climbs, the rolloff peaks at -12 dB in the upper frequencies. You'll recall I mentioned a Paul Whiteman 78 above. Well, for a 1929 recording, that Victor 78 has an amazing amount of highs in it that the RIAA compensation will be happy to squash so that you'll never hear them. Sibilant sounds from vocals will be nonexistent. If you're serious about how you want to hear your 78s, do yourself a favor. Get at least a TEC TC-778 RIAA / 78 Phono Preamp; Switchable EQ & Separate Inputs for 78 or LP! | eBay if not something better from Esoteric Sound. You'll be amazed at what highs you'll hear from an electrically recorded 78 when you switch out the RIAA section of the preamp!

 

For those who doubt the bargain basement TEC TC-778 preamp I've been touting for the economy-minded who want to hear ALL of the dynamics that were cut into the grooves of a 78 rpm record, check out this 78 rpm Coral 61851 issue of Debbie Reynolds' "Tammy," a late high fidelity 78 from 1957. Recorded at Universal-International with Joseph Gershenson conducting the orchestra, there's a clarity on this 78 not found on the 45 rpm single, the soundtrack LP, or any subsequent CD reissue. Bear in mind that what you're hearing on this dub employs surface noise reduction, but no equalization has been used other than what may be in the 78 rpm circuitry of the TEC preamp. The cartridge and stylus used to dub this Coral 78 was my GE RPX-050 "turnover" cartridge with an Astatic sapphire N350-3S stylus mounted in the 78 position of the T-bar. This cartridge, while some replacement stylus dealers classify this as "ceramic" is a high-output magnetic. The cartridge is of the "variable reluctance" design that was pioneered by engineer Peter Pritchard when he worked for General Electric. He left GE and founded Audio Dynamics Corporation (ADC), which introduced excellent stereo cartridges utilizing the same "variable reluctance" design he developed for General Electric. The two GE models with which Pritchard is most closely identified are the RPX series and the VRII, which could play 78s, microgroove records, or both. After Pritchard left, GE attempted to create a stereo cartridge based on the same principles, the VR-1000 and later the VR-220. Neither was successful, and GE discontinued these in the mid-60s. As for the mono models, being that they are true monophonic cartridges, designed to process only lateral groove modulation, these are ideal for dubbing 78 rpm discs or mono microgroove records. Steve Hoffman and I disagree that these mono GE cartridges could or could not safely track mono LPs cut with stereo cutting heads, as most were after 1967, but since there's no vertical groove modulation, I maintain that it's safe to do so. Besides, the .3 mil difference between a groove cut with a mono cutter and the groove cut with a stereo cutter in inconsequential, and .7 mil replacement styli are available for both RPX and VRII series GEs. nit '50s and early '60s vintage Capitol, Columbia, RCA Victor, Decca, Blue Note, Bethlehem, Coral, Clef and Norgran LPs sound just fabulous played with these cartridges. While I have both series, I prefer the sound of the RPX-050 to the VRII. These cartridges are the same ones on which test pressings of pre-released albums were auditioned for sound reproduction. In their day, they were the "commercial state-of-the-art" cartridges, and records made in the day either passed or failed QC by being auditioned with RPX series cartridges. The best home players were outfitted with the RPX-050, too! Magnavox, Webcor, and Voice of Music models were available with RPX-050 cartridges installed at the factories. Sure, they had a rather heavy VTF, but mono records not having any vertical groove modulation weren't bothered by it, and 78s certainly benefited from the extra VTF. It's my contention that to play vintage records correctly, some vintage equipment does a better job than modern equipment, and the GE RPX-050 does its job quite well for me. Anyway, those wishing to hear what a 78 of Debbie Reynolds' "Tammy" sounds like using an RPX-050 and a TC-778 should take a listen to this:
Dropbox - Debbie Reynolds - Tammy [Coral 61851, 78 rpm dub].wav

Tom Daly

 

I use Spin Clean fluid on all of my 78s (circa late 20s to late 50s) and have never had an issue. The only 78s I won't put in my Spin Clean are ones that are chipped to expose the inner core (like certain era Columbia discs). I will not submerge those discs for fear of the core soaking up water. I will instead wet brush those discs, carefully avoiding the chipped area.

Some early discs, like Edison Diamond Discs, don't like water at all. They will soak up the water and swell.

 

Also, assume some post 1949 78 RPM discs (depending on label) can and do USE RIAA. Many of the last RCA Victor post 1953 or so do. Also, some jazz labels in that era do. LP beginnings and later, assume that LP and 45 era curves are also used for 78 RPM playback, so AES/NAB/Original Columbia/New Orthophonic/RIAA, and a few outliers are in use. These curves are only baselines, adjust to your ears and equipment.

 

Most 1949 - 1960 78 rpm discs use either the NAB curve or the AES curve. Capitol and Columbia even used the AES curve on their 45s! RCA used "New Orthophonic" on late black label 78s with Nipper in color rather than with silver print, but those are the only 78s known to play properly with standard RIAA compensation. U.S. Decca used the NAB curve while UK Decca used the FFRR curve on both UK and US London label issues, as they were all pressed in the UK, anyway. Light blue label 78s and 45s and maroon label LPs were pressed domestically and used the RIAA curve. Until 1955, Columbia used their proprietary LP curve for 10" and 12" LPs. You can tell which curve to use by the labels on the records. If it's a 6-eye LP, then it's RIAA. If its a maroon with gold print, blue with silver print or green with gold print label, then the correct curve would be Columbia LP. With Columbia 45s, dark red with gold print labels are AES. Yellow and black label 45s are RIAA. With Capitol 45s, large Capitol dome purple labels and green EP labels are AES, while small dome Capitol labels indicate the RIAA curve was employed. Pre-Decca and Coral labels without lines and a star are NAB. Decca and Coral 45s with the label name in semi-circles with lines and a star are RIAA, so while your first pressing of "Rock Around the Clock" may not have lines and a star, the one WITH the lines and star is more desirable, since it uses the RIAA curve and the first pressing uses the NAB curve. This information isn't about personal preference, but about sonic accuracy. IF you're a true audiophile, you'll want to reproduce your records as the manufacturer intended. During the latter part of the 78 rpm era, everyone was attempting to minimize surface noise, which is the whole reason curves were developed in the first place. High quality gear had a multi-position knob for selecting the proper curve, whereas most consoles and portables merely had a crystal or ceramic cartridge connected to an amplifier, some with separate treble and bass controls, others with only treble controls, and some portables were so cheap that you were lucky to get a volume control! Kiddie phonos up to about 1966 were still equipped with acoustical reproducers and used steel needles, even on 45s!



Anyway, the RIAA standard was adopted in 1955, and out of all of the previously available curves, the RIAA selected RCA's "New Orthophonic" curve as its standard, and under no uncertain terms was it chosen due to its compatibility with other existing curves. Pre-1955 microgroove pressings should still be played with the curve used when cutting the lacquer masters for the stampers of those pressings for 100% total accuracy of reproduction. 78s are even more varied in the curves used from the late 1920s to around 1960 when the last 78s were pressed, and for those who want them reproduced properly, I recommend an appropriate preamp from Esoteric Sound, which caters to collectors of vintage records. Other companies out there also sell such equipment, and you might do just as well to find an old H. H. Scott vacuum tube (or valve) unit on eBay that has all the necessary settings, such as this one:
HH Scott Type 130 Stereo Tube Preamplifier All Original Excellent Condition | eBay

No matter what you choose to properly play vintage mono pressings, there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything, and settling for an RIAA-only curve stage in a preamp will only result in compromised audio.

 

For general home 78 playback, I do what our host does, Shure N44-3 Greenie. Jico makes a really excellent clone of it, and it works very well for most needs. And beside I have the M 44-7 installed in my Shure M 232 broadcast arm, used with my McMartin/QRK TT 12-C.

 

OK, you 78 rpm collectors who aren't buying what I've been carping on about using proper curves to reproduce 78 rpm discs. I recently dubbed and restored this 1930 Columbia 78, which I think sounds amazing, considering the age of the record and the fact that it's not in the greatest shape, with many scratches from a previous owner not keeping it in a sleeve. After I restored this recording using my digital tools, I went on Amazon to see if it appeared on any reissue, and what I found was appalling! Here's the label of the 78, and I've also left some of the surface intact in the scan because unlike most 78s, this 1930 Columbia pressing does not have an eccentric lead-out groove:

Dropbox - Ted Wallace 78.jpg
(My images never show up on this site. I just get where the image was supposed to have been.)

Now, that you see the disc, I'm providing two links. The first is of the restoration which I did myself from my copy of the recording, shown in the photo. The second is to a sample of what some fool issued on a CD which Amazon is selling. Amazon's sample has several things wrong with it, IMHO, and a direct comparison between my restoration and Amazon's copy will show that Amazon's dub was made through a standard RIAA phono preamp, complete with its -12 dB rolloff between the upper midrange and the highs, totally washing out any sibilance in the vocals, whereas my restoration does not suffer from this anomaly. In addition, excessive noise reduction (something I was guilty of employing in the past) was used, sucking all the life out of the recording. My dub does not emply RIAA compensation but uses the proper curve for a Columbia 78 of its day, and my noise reduction is sufficient without being overwhelming. You be the judge.

Amazon's sample: https://www.amazon.com/My-Baby-Just-Cares-Whoopee/dp/B002VPBHVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535683536&sr=8-1&keywords=Ted+Wallace+and+His+Campus+Boys+-+My+Baby+Just+Cares+for+Me

My restored dub: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d4x9f4vv3lvc4l5/Ted%20Wallace%20%26%20His%20Campus%20Boys%20-%20My%20Baby%20Just%20Cares%20for%20Me%20%28Columbia%202301D%3B%20master%20no.%20W150837%2C%20take%203%3B%20rec.%2009-23-30.mp3?dl=0

(I never get links to work on this site, either.)

Granted, there's a lot of info in my filename, but it's a copy of my WAV file that I'd converted to MP3 format simply because it would not have been a fair comparison to compare Amazon's MP3 with a WAV file. Now, bear in mind that I'm using vintage equipment on my restorations. The cartridge that played this record is a 1957 General Electric RPX-050, with a GE RPJ-03S stylus. This is mounted in a 1957 Collaro Coronation record changer which has a manual play position that disables the changer mechanism. Since the cartridge is a vintage mono magnetic model, and the RPX cartridge came stock in the changer, I'm very comfortable using it for my 78s and mono microgroove records with the RPJ-01D stylus. The GE RPX series cartridges were at one time, broadcast standard! GE even made a 2.5 mil stylus for the RPX series to play 33 1/3 rpm electrical transcriptions, which had narrower grooves than 78s, but weren't microgroove. Sure, I could spend all kinds of money on the AT-120 turntable or the Pioneer, or even a Technics SL-1200 made for the Japanese market that had 78 rpm as one of its three speeds and outfit it with a Shure or Grado cartridge and stylus combo for 78s, but my old Collaro and GE does me well, especially when I can choose the proper equalization curves for vintage records, regardless of who cut the lacquer discs or pressed the records. For restoration, nobody makes a single package that does everything, and I had to discover that the hard way. For basic recording and playback, I use Adobe Audition 2.0, however I use version 1.5 for some restoration processes, and 3.0 (64 bit) for others. I always record at 96 KHz, perform all restoration at that rate, then burn a CD-R from the 96 KHz file, and then make a copy down to 44.1 KHz for circulation, usually to FLAC format. Digital processing is done using a wide variety of plug-ins, some from Waves, some from iZotope, and other odds and ends that are freeware. While what I do today is merely my hobby, I'm not opposed to restoring the audio from a 78 for a commercial reissue. I'm just no longer in a position to make a living doing it, so it'll remain primarily a hobby.

 

Was cratedigging in the Caribbean a few days ago and came across not one, but 2 78 rpm test pressings I never even find anything that interesting back at home in NY! One had a lined RCA Test Pressing label with handwriting long faded, the other was a plain white label, also with the handwriting long faded and illegible, each had a side-long runout pressed onto what was otherwise a blank b-side… No idea what’s on them just yet or even when/where in the world they may have been pressed. No visible matrix nos. Possibly unissued/audition takes? Can I get this shellac back home in my checked luggage in one piece? so many questions...

 

Might I suggest grabbing this video I posted of Sun 234 (78 rpm) of a totally flat playback of the record using the proper playback curve? The record is in VG+ condition, and plays quite well! Watch it here:

 

For those who would rather use a video for comparision of the Amazon link I provided above and my restoration, listen to and watch this:



The video uses the restored audio track, but the noisy lead-in and lead out grooves, sort of a "Photoshopped" video.

 

I don't think that I've seen a Collaro changer with a headshell like that or with a GE cartridge like that. I've got a 1st generation stereo Collaro changer and it has a 1-piece tone arm with a flip-over stylus. When I see a GE cartridge with the stylus selector knob, I think it's a VR or VR II. My parents had a portable Magnavox hi-fi, probably 1955 or 6, and it had the traditional Collaro with more of a cobra-like non-removable headshell and it had a cartridge with a flip-over needle. I remember putting a 78 on it back when I was a kid and when it dropped it, the 78 exploded into pieces, so I would only play 78's manually on it from then on.
Your video sounds excellent to me and sounds like when I play my copy on my 1970's Pioneer quadraphonic system, set to mono, using an AT turntable and Shure M78S cartridge. I've got a late-1940's Magnavox radio-phono console currently equipped with a 78rpm-only Collaro changer, which I plan to transplant the stereo Collaro into. With Magnavox's excellent sound reputation, I'll bet it will sound awesome!

 

Change the speed to 78...

 

I always felt that the RCA Victor "New Orthophonic" 78's were the best sounding and, to me, sounded better than their 45 rpm counterparts of the same era.
Although I hadn't ever owned an acoustic record player until I bought a Victor VV-IX 20 or so years ago. I've even got a Victor radio/phono console from 1931 which has a flip-off record changer, 2-speed, 78/33, with a magnetic pick-up and a "ton" arm. Yep, it looks like it weighs a ton! I know that the portables were made into the 1970's, electric or wind-up. I remember going into the toy dept. at Sears and seeing electric motor powered, stamped tin, acoustic kiddie phonographs.
I was given my first "kiddie" record player in the 1950's and it was fully electric.

 

I pulled this Collaro out of a mono Magnavox console! The RPX-050 cartridge in my Collaro was stock. Webcor had table models and consoles that used it, too. The VR-II appeared in 1959 and remained in production until the late 1960s, until mass production of mono LPs were phased-out. GE made a .7 mil tip for the VR-II, and Mr. Hoffman and I have disagreed as to whether or not the VR-II was vertically compliant. I claim that it WAS, since it was GE's purpose in replacing the RPX-050 with the lighter-tracking VR-II and offering a .7 mil stylus for it, but Steve claims the opposite. I've played stereo records (more or less junk ones) with the RPX and the VR-II. The RPX results in more record wear than the VR-II, but these records, when played with stereo cartridges, still have all of their vital channel separation and no distortion. The VR-II is kinder to the stereo grooves than the RPX, but neither appears to result in any significant damage to the grooves, even with multiple playings. Of course, the records I chose to "destroy" with these GE cartridges all have warnings not to play them with mono cartridges and styli! As for RCA "New Orthophonic" 78s, they are the most compatible with modern equipment, since the RCA curve is the one the RIAA adopted in 1955, so it's the one all modern phono preamplifier stages use. RCA also pressed for Cadence, Dot, and several other labels, and those pressings would also use the RIAA curve. Check the matrices in the dead wax and learn how to interpret them, so you'll know who pressed the records and which ones use the RIAA curve.

 

I definitely hear the difference. At :58 the sound changes from a mellow sound to a tinny distorted sound. I can hear why they settled on the RIAA curve.

 

Part of that is due to the level at which I recorded the record. When I switched from RIAA to AES, it made the midrange and highs louder, pushing the VU meter further into the red. I'll remaster the video at a lower level, so that when the audio becomes louder using the AES curve, it won't be distorted. Expect the link to the video to be updated over the weekend.

 

I just looked at my Magnavox console and it doesn't have any curve choices, just bass and treble controls. I have seen other phonographs that did have different curve positions, but majority didn't. I know that Webcor made their own record changers, including one that flipped the records off after playing them. Webcor made record changers for other companies and I think GE and Philco were their customers.
I've got an old schoolhouse portable 3-speed record player and PA system from the 1950's and it has a GE VR II mono cartridge. It doesn't have a curve selector either but it does have a mechanical switch for the tone arm for standard or microgroove. All it does is to adjust the tracking weight. I've used it to play everything from 78's to 16" transcription discs and haven't noticed any abnormal record wear. I bought a NOS VR-II for a back-up, but have never used it. AMI used the GE VR stereo cartridge on their jukeboxes, even if they weren't stereo. I removed the one in my AMI K 200 mono jukebox and replaced it with a Pickering NP/AC cartridge. It was AMI's plan that if you wanted to upgrade to stereo at a later date, all you would have to do was to add a 2nd amp and remote speaker. I also have a basket-case AMI Continental 2 stereo jukebox with it's strange stereo-round system. It also has a GE VR stereo cartridge. The jukebox has 2 6x9 speakers on the sides and a single 12" speaker in front. The way it worked was the cartridge was wired out of phase so the stereo separation would come out of the side speakers and the common sounds to both channels, like vocals, came out of the front speaker. So, we know that the GE VR stereo cart has great vertical compliance. It worked out great and you could put the jukebox in the corner of a room and get great stereo effect. When Rowe took over, that all ended. They went so far as moving the tone arm to the opposite side with a Shure M44 cart mounted backwards!

 

This post supercedes one from above, since this dumb hosting site wouldn't let me edit the URL of the video in the previous post, which has been updated with a level adjustment.
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Here's a simple demonstration of what happens when you switch from the wrong (RIAA) curve to the correct (AES) curve on a 78 pressed by Columbia in the Pittman, NJ pressing plant. This is Pilgrim 720, 'CAUSE YOU'RE MINE by the G-Clefs, the follow-up to "Ka-Ding-Dong." It did not chart pop, but it's a great uptempo doo-wop tune! The switch from RIAA to AES occurs at :58 seconds into the video, during the second bar of the sax solo. What you will hear will make you think someone removed a pile of towels from in front of your loudspeakers! All of a sudden, there's a "presence" on the record that was obscurred by the RIAA compensation. I rest my case as to why using the proper EQ curve is important with post-1950 78s, LPs and 45s, and don't forget to download the guide to curves available at Dropbox - compensation curves pre-RIAA.pdf

Here's the video:

 

A wonderful demonstration - I could hear so much more of the music with the right eq, and it became musical.

It explains why so many CDs of 78 records sound so dull, they are probably using the wrong eq (plus excessive NR). I don't get record companies. They put out poor quality material, people don't like it, and then they use that as a justification that the market isn't interested in old music. And consumers have the myth that "78's sound like rubbish" reinforced. I've bought so many CDs of 78 recordings that I haven't enjoyed, despite knowing there is great music embedded in there. Then I've replaced it with another CD with good mastering, and it allows me to love the music. Record companies and the industry are their own worst enemy.

 

Also, to amplify what you say, Tom. GE RPX cartridges were THE 78 RPM cartridge for broadcasters from their introduction to the end of 78 RPM, again, that was the professional standard for broadcasting, for the recording industry, for evaluating test pressings, quality control in pressing plants, and even for calibration and response tests for disc cutting equipment. I called the GE RPX the 78 RPM cartridge which played mono LP discs, and the GE VR II cartridge the 1950's mono cartridge which played LP discs, but could play 78 RPM discs.

 

Here's another one for y'all. This one's a dub of a 1923 Brunswick 2416 by Billy Jones and Ernest Hare, two of the most popular singers of the acoustic era. The audio is restored as well as possible, however most acoustically recorded discs have a notable lack of sibilance in the vocals. Minor surface noise is audible at the start if you really listen for it, but it clears up after about 15 seconds. I chose this record because Brunswick was a major label back in the day, who made some of the finest recordings and who had many major recording artists under contract. At one time or another, Brunswick had Isham Jones & his Orchestra (later taken over by Woody Herman), Al Jolson, Artie Shaw, Harry James (all the Frank Sinatra vocals with Harry's band were made for Brunswick, not Columbia), and Bing Crosby (the Brunswick Crosby 78s are highly sought-after, the subsequent Decca 78s are not, since on Brunswick, Bing was more of a jazz singer where as on Decca, he was a "crooner"). Brunswick also manufactured the best phonographs of the day. Any collector would gladly accept a Brunswick Panatrope over a Victrola or Columbia Grafonola. In fact, until Capehart introduced a changer that played both sides of a stack of records in the mid-40s (ironically using a variation of the cartridge I use to dub shellac discs), the Panatrope remained the most sought-after of all phonographs, electrical or acoustical. Brunswick models could also play Pathé and Edison vertically-cut discs, as well as conventional laterally-cut ones. I recommend checking out YouTube for videos of Panatropes and Capehart (Bobs' restored Capehart 413 6-24-12.MOV ). The Capehart is an amazing machine, gentle on the shellac discs with fidelity unmatched by other players of its day, making it a true collector's item. I'd much rather have a Capehart than a 1946 Wurlitzer 1015 jukebox!

Anyway I digress, so back to Brunswick 2416... The recording companies of the day were always attempting to get their acoustical recordings to better reproduce lower and higher frequencies. Brunswick always used top quality shellac, so its pressings never suffered from cheap shellac. The speeds for Edison, Columbia and Brunswick shellac discs was 80 rpm until 1926, with the introduction of the electric motor in phonographs, resulting in a standard speed of 78.26 rpm. Brunswick had a decent range of frequencies for the period over Victor, but once Victor licensed electrical recording technology from Western Electric, and Columbia followed suit. Brunswick, on the other hand, chose an inferior electrical process developed by General Electric called the "light-ray process" that resulted in sonic inconsistencies that left many sessions unissued. Once Brunswick got on board with the Western Electric system, their records were again among the better-sounding releases. It should be noted that Brunswick bought Vocalion in 1925, and began issuing the same recordings with different artist credit on the label, with a suggested retail price of half of what the original Brunswick pressings sold for. In 1938, Brunswick and the entire American Record Corporation was purchased by CBS. Brunswick/ARC had purchased the Columbia label out of bankruptcy, so they owned the name, and Bill Paley naturally made the Columbia label his primary label, retired Brunswick and reactivated the defunct Okeh label to replace Vocalion. In 1941, the names Brunswick and Vocalion were sold to American Decca, who used Brunswick as a reissue label for pre-1931 Brunswick recordings acquired with the sale of the name and Decca reactivated Vocalion as a budget reissue label.

Now that you know all about Brunswick 78s, here's the 1923 recording by Billy Jones and Ernest Hare that I've restored and speed corrected to 80 rpm: