Are these records acoustic or electric?

[Wolfe]

None of my electrically recorded Harmony's say anything about electrical recording on the label.

[gramophone-georg]

None of my electrically recorded Harmony's say anything about electrical recording on the label.

Diva, Harmony, Velvet- Tone can be tough. Some V-Ts say "Electrically Recorded" on the label, but I've never seen this on a Diva or Harmony. Not even the presence or lack of the circled W in the matrix number is reliable, as lots of these records that ARE electrically recorded don't have it.

I've found that a good rule of thumb is that anything after catalog number 1000-H on Harmony, after 2100-V on Velvet Tone, and 3000-G on Diva are *likely* electric. Smaller diameter labels on these brands almost always are, too, although I do have a few smaller label issues that are acoustical. Clarion (green label), a latecomer to this Columbia "budget" label series, was always electric AFAIK. Other "private" pressings like Paramount, MGM, and special show labels are mostly acoustic, though there are exceptions here too. The "Personal" series seems to have gone either way, but most I have after 1925 are electric.

On the "Personal" records, I'd assume the artist had a choice of electric or acoustical, likely with a price difference. It seems that Columbia used both processes for budget labels till about mid 1930 or so. I have a couple that are electric on one side, acoustical on the other.

[Phototone]

Diva was private department store label for W. T. Grant stores, and made by Columbia. Known as a client label. The Harmony record you show, also made by Columbia was a dime store (lower cost) label. Now Columbia continued to use the acoustic process of recording well into the electric era for their budget and client labels, but not exclusively. Columbia had just invested heavily in updating their acoustic recording apparatus right when Western Electric offered their new electric process, which Columbia adopts for their primary label. They weren't about to trash their brand new acoustic recording gear, so they continued to use it up thru 1929 for many budget label releases, so in the case of Diva, Harmony and Okeh some very late sides may have been made acoustically. Generally these are very good recordings on Columbias excellent quiet surfaces.

[eighteenbelow]

Thanks, everyone, for your extremely informative replies. Catalog cutoff numbers, like those suggested for Brunswick, Harmony, Velvet-Tone and Diva are especially helpful; does anyone know of any others for other labels?

As for matrices, I've never quite understood how to use those. I've seen them referred to in Barr's guide, but I don't grasp how, exactly, to interpret them, perhaps because I'm still not clear on which labels are "masters" and which are "subsidiaries." Any guidance on this question, general or specific, would, again, be most appreciated.

[marcapra]

A matrix number refers to the recording date and title of a particular side, so each side would have a different matrix number, if they are different songs. If you have the Barr 78 rpm Record Dating Guide, page 166 has electrical starting numbers for various labels.

Banner - below 6300 acoustic; above the higher 6300s electric; in between mixed.

Bell - above 400 electric, but quality is poor

Broadway - 5 digit numbers, acoustic 4 digit numbers electric

Cameo - below 850 acoustic; above 900 electric

Columbia - circled W are electric

Edison - switched to electric in summer of 1927 starting with 52089 catalog number in the popular series.

Gennett - most electric records say Electro-Beam

Grey Gull - most matrices above 2000 are electric

Lincoln- above catalog number 2500 are electric; below 2450 acoustic

Okeh - pre Columbia Okeh records are mostly acoustic unless they say Truetone

Paramount - same as Banner, many blues records are acoustic even though label says electric

Pathé/Perfect - they started electric recording in late 1927. E-2000 series matrices are electric. Others you have to tell by ear or have a circled E.

Radiex - see Grey Gull

Romeo - almost all are electric, some acoustic records on first few issues.

Victor - early 1925 batwing electrics will have VE in circle in runout area. Scroll Victors are electric.

Vocalion - above 15100 are electric

Most of the big name record companies like Victor, Columbia, Brunswick overseas switched to electric by mid 1925. Most independents, including Edison, switched over by 1927.

[gramophone-georg]

Gennett's first electrics were the regular red labels with an encircled "GE" (Gennett Electric) at the top. Regal and Banner early electrics will have a circled "E" on the label.

[Wolfe]

[quote="marcapra"]

Paramount - same as Banner, many blues records are acoustic even though label says electric

I don't think Paramount was making any blues titles acoustically after 1926.

[Wolfe]

Acoustic guitar is a good giveaway when judging acoustical vs. electric records.
Paramount blues records almost uniformly have mediocre to poor sound and there is scant documentation left from Paramount, so yer ears are the only way to tell.

This is a Paramount acoustical from 1926, the horn resonance is apparent:

(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)

Paramount electrical from 1928 :

(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)

Paramount electrical from 1927, with a little bit of artificial reverb that was added to the transfer:

(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)

This Paramount from 1929 could sound acoustical to some, because it's thin and recorded low in volume, but it's electrical :

(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)