Columbia 78 lip question

Discussions on Records, Recording, & Artists
Post Reply
JAR
Victor II
Posts: 255
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 7:39 pm

Columbia 78 lip question

Post by JAR »

I have a Columbia 78, A5041 Overture Barber of Seville,
12", it has a lip at the beginning of the record, and by the
start of the label ?

JAR

JAR
Victor II
Posts: 255
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 7:39 pm

Re: Columbia 78 lip question

Post by JAR »

columbia lip.jpg
columbia lip.jpg (58.78 KiB) Viewed 1676 times

JAR

User avatar
Roaring20s
Victor V
Posts: 2548
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 1:55 am
Personal Text: Those who were seen dancing were thought insane by those who could not hear the music. Nietzsche
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: Columbia 78 lip question

Post by Roaring20s »

The question is, "What's up with that raised rings on some Columbia 78's?"
I think they are just on the Columbia "Magic Notes" Label.
Looking at it from a design standpoint, I can see three practical purposes.

1) To keep the reproducer from slipping off the record near the edge.
2) To keep the needle off the paper label.
3) To protect the playing surface when unsleeved discs are stacked upon each other.

This purely conjecture on my part and I like all three. :coffee:

James.

PS: I also have an "Opera Disc Company" record, made in Germany from the same period, that has the outer ring, and a raised run-out groove.
Screen Shot 2018-05-18 at 8.18.29 PM.png

Viva-voce
Victor III
Posts: 758
Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2016 1:49 am
Location: British Columbia, Canada

Re: Columbia 78 lip question

Post by Viva-voce »

Outer rim raised rings were common on many European labels including Fonotipia, Odeon, Favorite, etc. and I've also seen several examples on G&T and Gramophone Company pre-dog label pressings.

Steven

edisonplayer
Victor IV
Posts: 1558
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:33 pm

Re: Columbia 78 lip question

Post by edisonplayer »

Gennett(acoustic,not Electro-Beam)also used the raised ridge on its discs.edisonplayer

User avatar
oldphonographsteve
Victor II
Posts: 372
Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 5:45 pm
Personal Text: I'm the guy that found the fault in asphalt
Location: Connecticut
Contact:

Re: Columbia 78 lip question

Post by oldphonographsteve »

I concur with James on the three reasons why the record may have been designed with these raised rings. They were used on Columbia records between 1903/04 to the end of the Magic Notes label which, if I am not mistaken, was sometime in 1915 or 1916. However, I do have some repressings of earlier Columbia records which are on the blue label which have these raised rings.

I have even seen some which have the raised rings on one side but not the other! These were likely from some transitional period when Columbia was removing this design feature from their discs as most of the records that I have found like this were recorded and likely pressed between 1914 and 1915 and had the Magic Notes label.

Stephen

Menophanes
Victor II
Posts: 429
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 5:52 am
Location: Redruth, Cornwall, U.K.

Re: Columbia 78 lip question

Post by Menophanes »

I have some orchestral records on the Polydor label, dating I believe from between 1921 and 1923, which still have this ridge. However, I believe this was exceptional by this time.

Oliver Mundy.

Post Reply