I'm new to 78's and I bought 1941 78's, are they vinyl?

[Sansenoi]

I went antique store shopping for the first time for 78's and I am total newbie when it comes to them.

I'm planning to purchase a crank gramophone as soon as I find a good one and I came by a Victor Records 4 disk set labeled "The Birth of the Blues" with conductor Henry Levin and guest soloist Lena Horne at 78 rpm. I jumped at it mainly because I like Lena Horne.

I don't know if it's vinyl or not because I've never owned a shellac disk. I know it was recorded in 1941 and the disk does not say Vinyl on it and they have some heft and some resonance when thumped but I read vinyl was used by Victor Records during the war years due to lack of shellac imports over Pacific routes.

Also, on amazon this disk is sold used and labeled as vinyl, I'm not sure the seller knows seeing as how they are asking almost $50 dollars for the set when I got it for $12. lol

Any info on this would be appreciated.

The disks have music on both sides. 4 disks, eight songs.

[Wolfe]

Doubt it. I don't think Victor were producing any sort of vinyl 78 in 1941, and especially not for regular stateside production. It may be possible that vinyl was used as a filler agent, due to shellac restrictions.

Far as I know, only 78 rpm V-Discs of the wartime era were vinyl. And a few are shellac.

A lot of johnny-come-lately sellers on e-bay and elsewhere refer to shellac 78's as vinyl, or 'vinyls.' It's very common.

[syncopeter]

These records were originally issued on shellac, but the album could be well reprinted on vinyl. And a lot of early vinyl is quite heavy and does often has a ring to it. You shouldn't play it on a wind-up though. You will wear it down in no time. They are too heavily modulated for the heavy soundbox to cope with them. Apart from that an early album by Lena Horne is quite collectible.

[Retrograde]

Here is a link to the one on Amazon. These are shellac. $12 is a fair price, but $50 is dreaming.

Records from 1941 are outside the range of records suitable for wind-up gramophones. Although they will play on one, it won't sound very good.

[Sansenoi]

thanks for all the feedback! For anyone interested in hearing Lena Horne on 4 out of the 8 tracks, this whole set is played on youtube. Just search for "the birth of the blues" Lena Horne.

[Sansenoi]

After looking at my albums and the pictures of the one's stated on the amazon ad I noticed some discrepancies in the two.
The label stamped on the disk for the amazon set says "victor" and my set has "RCA Victor" stamped on them. Could mine be vinyl reprints?

[Wolfe]

After looking at my albums and the pictures of the one's stated on the amazon ad I noticed some discrepancies in the two.
The label stamped on the disk for the amazon set says "victor" and my set has "RCA Victor" stamped on them. Could mine be vinyl reprints?

Could be.

What's the label color on your set? If you had pics, that would seal the deal. But it's not really necessary.

[Guest]

Yours is a second pressing.

Victor did indeed press in a vinyl compound. As early as 1933. They called the stuff "Vitrolac" and reserved it for special purpose pressings, among which were their "Program Transcription" long playing series, picture records, "Record ReVue" series discs, and some few items intended for radio air play.

[Sansenoi]

the label color is black with gold print. It has the Victor logo with the phonograph and dog which below it is printed "his masters voice" then below that "RCA VICTOR"

[Wolfe]

Hmmm.

I can't remember seeing (or if I own) any black and gold label vinyl RCA Vic. records, maybe someone else has. Vinyl are black with white lettering labels, like DJ copies, or some of those 're-issued by request' reissues.

Just speaking of black label records, and not the white label 'prevues' and such.