Hi all! I've just bought on Ebay two Edison diamond discs: the "black" ones, with Edison's face engraved on the left of the center. The problem is that I don't owe an Edison gramophone: can I play them on my Pathé gramophone using sapphire needles on a Pathé soundbox made for hill-and-dale records? I haven't yet received the Diamond discs, but I think that the grooves are thicker than those of Pathé discs, and I'm afraid to damage the Edisons by using sapphire needle. Is that true? If it's so, how can I do, and where could I buy a diamond needle that fits?
Thank you!
Carlo
Pathé sapphire stylus on Edison diamond discs?
-
- Victor Jr
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 6:26 pm
- Location: Northern Italy
- Wolfe
- Victor V
- Posts: 2755
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:52 pm
Re: Pathé sapphire stylus on Edison diamond discs?
No. The Pathé sapphire stylus is for grooves that are wide and shallow - quite unlike the Edison Diamond Disc.
I don't think damage would be something to worry about as they probably wouldn't track in the first place.
I don't think damage would be something to worry about as they probably wouldn't track in the first place.
-
- Victor Monarch
- Posts: 4172
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:23 pm
- Personal Text: I have good days...this might not be one of them
- Location: Albany NY
Re: Pathé sapphire stylus on Edison diamond discs?
They won't damage the discs but you'll get little or no sound- if they track the grooves at all.
-
- Victor VI
- Posts: 3753
- Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:54 pm
Re: Pathé sapphire stylus on Edison diamond discs?
You can indeed get a diamond stylus that fits a Pathé reproducer to play Diamond Discs, but I don't recommend this. I have yet to see one that didn't leave marks on the records.
-
- Victor Jr
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 6:26 pm
- Location: Northern Italy
Re: Pathé sapphire stylus on Edison diamond discs?
Thanks to all of you for your prompt answers! I won't absolutely damage the records: in the future I'll probably buy an Edison machine... I'll just try to use a very thin cactus needle, paying attention in order to preserve the delicate grooves; if my attempt will be satisfying, I'll post something about it.
Carlo
Carlo
-
- Victor Monarch
- Posts: 4172
- Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:23 pm
- Personal Text: I have good days...this might not be one of them
- Location: Albany NY
Re: Pathé sapphire stylus on Edison diamond discs?
I've done that, slso using a fresh bamboo needle- I got some sound but the point broke down fairly fastCarlo 1963 wrote:Thanks to all of you for your prompt answers! I won't absolutely damage the records: in the future I'll probably buy an Edison machine... I'll just try to use a very thin cactus needle, paying attention in order to preserve the delicate grooves; if my attempt will be satisfying, I'll post something about it.
Carlo
-
- Victor Jr
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 6:26 pm
- Location: Northern Italy
Re: Pathé sapphire stylus on Edison diamond discs?
I've done some tests on vertical cut 78s with self-made bamboo needles, but I've achieved better results with cactus needles. I tried the most common ones, which can be found here in Italy, i.e. Echinocacti, and not Saguaros: I think that they are not the best ones, but they are interesting, being very sharp pointed. That's a problem, because they're quite weak, but after all you can sharpen them either with a needle sharpener or with a knife or with sandpaper; but i hope they'll fit better to the grooves of Edison DDiscs. I tried them with Pathé hill-and-dales, and the results are quite good, even if lesser than with the regular sapphire needles. In 15 days I should receive the two diamond discs, and I'll try with caution... I'll post the results!
Carlo
Carlo
-
- Victor Jr
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 3:48 pm
Re: Pathé sapphire stylus on Edison diamond discs?
I've experimented with a number of cacti needles and found that the needles from a barrel cactus work best. I'll be interested to hear what you find (pun intended).
-
- Victor III
- Posts: 904
- Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 3:46 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
Re: Pathé sapphire stylus on Edison diamond discs?
The DD will play but with little volume. The Pathé grooves are really much wider than DD.
Wilson Records Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/donwilsonrecords
YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/donwilsonlabs
https://www.facebook.com/donwilsonrecords
YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/donwilsonlabs