2 Min/4 Min Cylinders on Other than Edison Machines

[CDBPDX]

My experience with cylinder machines and cylinders is limited to Edison machines. Edison cylinders have precisely measured groove widths. Here are probably dumb questions - Can Edison 2 minute and 4 minute cylinders be played on other brand machines? Can other brand cylinders be played on Edison machines? Is/was there ever a standard for cylinder groove widths? Can I safely play a Columbia cylinder on a 2 minute or 4 minute Edison machine?

Thanks! Cliff

[52089]

Regardless of brand, all 2M cylinders have 100 turns per inch (TPI), all 4M cylinders have 200 TPI. With the exception of a few very cheap machines (e.g. some Pucks), all cylinder phonographs have feed screws designed for the above TPI count(s). Therefore, all cylinders are fully interchangeable with all brands of machine.

HOWEVER, much more important is the type of reproducer used. NEVER use a diamond point reproducer on a wax record!

[briankeith]

I have a tiny but crude Columbia cylinder machine (AP or AQ can't remember the letters) that does not use a feed screw at all. The slightest flaw in the cylinder record causes the reproducer to just fly off to the end of the record. And the reproducer is pinned to the end of the timy horn that sits on a small rod. It just sits on the record ever so lightly and balanced. Cannot ever get ot to play an entire 2 minute cylinder record!

[Edisone]

There are many Indestructible and U.S.Everlasting cylinders which have shrunk enough so that they're no longer 100 or 200 tpi. Well, they ARE still 100 or 200, but the grooves are slightly narrower. During playback on a feed-screw machine, the stylus will be forced to jump ahead - sometimes more than once!