The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Believe it or not, I don't think I've ever come across any American Starr records, but I have accumulated scores of Canadian Starrs, though I live on the US side of the border and always have. They all look like the attached. Can anyone give me a ballpark on when these date from? Are they acoustic or electric? (My ears are not adept enough to tell.) And are they all in French?

There were some early, vertical cut U.S. made Starr records, a product of the Starr Piano Co. of Richmond, Indiana. The were only sold in Starr stores, with Starr machines. They're quite scarce. I've never seen one in nearly 50 years of collecting.
Around 1919, in order to sell more records, in stores other than their own, Starr changed their label name in the U.S. to Gennett.
The records you have were produced by Starr's Canadian operation. I have not seen a vertical cut Canadian Starr record, and I would assume they're all lateral cut.
Like everyone else, Starr (Gennett) started electric recording in '25, so it really depends on when they were recorded of they're acoustic or elactric.
I've seen plenty of non-French Starr records. I suppose it depends on the region of Canada they were marketed to. Hopefully this has been helpful

Steve

I have a Starr Gennett by Ladd's Black Aces. edisonplayer.

ChesterCheetah18 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 9:09 pm Like everyone else, Starr (Gennett) started electric recording in '25, so it really depends on when they were recorded of they're acoustic or elactric.

Thanks, Steve. Any idea how to date these records?

eighteenbelow wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:07 am

ChesterCheetah18 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 9:09 pm Like everyone else, Starr (Gennett) started electric recording in '25, so it really depends on when they were recorded of they're acoustic or elactric.

Thanks, Steve. Any idea how to date these records?

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any discographies specifically covering the Starr label.

Steve

Maybe Steven C Barr's Almost Complete Dating Guide has something about Canadian Starrs...

The Online 78rpm Discographical Project has published Steve Abram’s label research on their website:

https://78discography.com/STGNT.htm

It’s about the only numerical listing of Starr (Canadian) releases you’ll find on the net. Take the info there with a somewhat hefty grain of salt; it’s far from perfect but it’s all we have!

(The project site has lots of info on other labels as well!)

GlensterTX wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:04 pm The Online 78rpm Discographical Project has published Steve Abram’s label research on their website:

https://78discography.com/STGNT.htm

It’s about the only numerical listing of Starr (Canadian) releases you’ll find on the net. Take the info there with a somewhat hefty grain of salt; it’s far from perfect but it’s all we have!

(The project site has lots of info on other labels as well!)

I checked there myself but it only lists the 9000 series, which judging by the titles and artists, was popular stuff very likely pressed from U.S. Gennett masters.
I did notice doing other digging that the 16000 series appears to have been reserved for French language records.
There's just so very little info out there about those Canadian Starrs. It doesn't help that the "Starr" name was used on other labels until at least 1948-49, but they have no connection to the Canadian label.

Steve

The guide is in LOC
https://archive.org/details/almostcomplete7800barr
Maybe in the text he says something about Compo operations and gives some info on Canadian Starr...

Here I've found pages of Barr guide (Good bless him, latest news were that he was in a nursing home) that give info on Compo activities, plus the list of issues and that of matrices