What records can safely be played on a Vintage Machine?

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AL1630
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What records can safely be played on a Vintage Machine?

Post by AL1630 »

So I've been thinking about buying my first vintage player, as I've received a large amount of free 78s from a relative who didn't want them anymore. I'm looking at a 1920s era Brunswick for a pretty low price, and i had a question about what records are 'safe' to play on a machine of that vintage. Can any of these be played without major damage if the needle is changed every time?

-Acoustic Recordings only
-Early Electric (~mid-late '20s?)
-All Electric
-None

Not sure if this is the right forum section to post in, but any help is appreciated. Thanks!
Last edited by AL1630 on Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Wolfe
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Re: What records can safely be played on a

Post by Wolfe »

Many threads on this topic. Many, many. Here's one :

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... rds#p39647

You'll find the same responses on every thread.

estott
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Re: What records can safely be played on a Vintage Machine?

Post by estott »

1 and 2 are safe, after that it gets variable- some records from the 30's and the early 40's will play fine on an acoustic machine. I think that the record companies knew a lot of people were using acoustic portables so they dampened the response curve on popular discs a bit.

larryh
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Re: What records can safely be played on a Vintage Machine?

Post by larryh »

You ears will tell you what works and what doesn't as well. If it is blasting and harsh it probably has too high a frequency range to sound right. It probably won't harm the machine it self but it would hurt my ears. Now and then a record beyond the usual cut off in the mid twenties will play reasonably well on a acoustic machine but they are pretty rare. When you get to the Electrical record period its a bit more difficult. Some 40s' records depending on the recorded sound can play rather well, others don't. Generally I find that up to the mid 30's some records do well on the latter orthophonic or Panatrope in Brunswick's case. Again when a record becomes outrageously loud and distorts its one I put aside for the latter electrical machines.

Larry

AL1630
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Re: What records can safely be played on a Vintage Machine?

Post by AL1630 »

Thanks for the help! I'll take a look at it.

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Re: What records can safely be played on a Vintage Machine?

Post by EdiBrunsVic »

I agree with the posts that suggest acoustics or early electrics.

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marcapra
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Re: What records can safely be played on a Vintage Machine?

Post by marcapra »

You didn't say what Brunswick from the 20s you were looking at. If it is a Panatrope with acoustic or electronic amplification, then it will be fine for electric records up to the early 30s as well as the older pre-1925 acoustic records. If it is an electronically amplified Brunswick Panatrope, it can play most 1940s shellac records. Never play vinyl 78s with a steel needle.

AL1630
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Re: What records can safely be played on a Vintage Machine?

Post by AL1630 »

marcapra wrote:You didn't say what Brunswick from the 20s you were looking at. If it is a Panatrope with acoustic or electronic amplification, then it will be fine for electric records up to the early 30s as well as the older pre-1925 acoustic records. If it is an electronically amplified Brunswick Panatrope, it can play most 1940s shellac records. Never play vinyl 78s with a steel needle.
Sorry I didn't specify, the one I was looking at was a portable Brunswick Model 101, fully acoustic.

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