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I have a 10" record on the Columbia black label without the words Viva-Tonal. I'm going to guess that Viva-Tonal records appeared in 1926. By that time, the secret of electrical recording was out. My question is this: Is my Columbia record 428-D, which according to Steven Barr was recorded after June, 1925, electrically recorded? I'm assuming it is because I think Columbia started the electrical recording process by February, 1925.

I have a Willie Howard record on the label you describe, and also thought it might be electric, but have decided it is their late Acoustic process, which was so good that it can fool you

Columbia 428-D (10-in. double-faced)
The following matrix(es) were released with this catalog number:

Columbia W140769 2 7/16/1925 Day dreaming / The Cavaliers
Columbia W140770 2 7/16/1925 Funny / The Cavaliers

The W in the matrix number would indicate electrical recording.

The first ISSUED electrical matrices are from Feb. 1925. Columbia STARTED recording electrical recording tests in 1924. All their studios may not have been equipped electrically at the same time however.

I saw the little W in the dead wax and I thought maybe it stands for Westinghouse?

The "W" stands for Western Electric.

Yes, of course, Western Electric. I confuse those names. Does anyone know when the Viva-Tonal line was introduced? My guess is sometime in 1926 when the new Viva-Tonal phonographs came out. I learned that at that time British Columbia owned Columbia, and was the Viva-Tonal phonograph and record line a British engineered product?

"Viva-Tonal" was added to the black Columbia record label in January 1927.

I would guess there are some early Columbia electrics around that are Viva-Tonal label and not, if they were early recorded 1925-26.

Columbia's first electrics were on the Flag label,Such as the Associated Glee Club's "Adeste Fideles".I read that the English company didn't like the Flag label,so they went a new label that was modeled after the English Columbia label.edisonplayer

Looks like Columbia 332-D has one side with the electrical process and the other acoustic. Matrix numbers are 140229 recorded 1/7/1925 and W140430 recorded 3/13/1925.

Matrix 140403 recorded on 2/27/1925 by the Cavaliers released on 331-D, both recorded acoustically.

W140404 electrically recorded on 2/27/1925 by Art Gillham released on 326-D with the flip side recorded on 2/26/1925 acoustically.

I don't have any records between 295-D and 346-D.