The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Winsleydale,

Thanks for the photos! The copyright is indeed 1947 on that album but the pressing is a bit later. That label dates from after 1954. RCA dropped new pressings in 78 rpm in 1958 but continued Educational pressings until 1960. Even if that master was cut in 1947 it was really intended to be played on a light weight pickup - ceramic or crystal on more modern equipment. You probably wont see material on a steel needle from playing - it will just wear out the groove faster.

Many collectors prefer not to play anything roughly after 1937-38 with a steel needle.

Nice user name btw - "Crackin' toast Grommit!"

Darren

Interesting. I didn't think that they kept stuff in production for that long. Also good to know not to keep playing them! It's actually kind of a shame, though, because my crank phonographs are the only music players I have, other than crappy mp3 files... Now I don't know what to do with them.

winsleydale wrote:Interesting. I didn't think that they kept stuff in production for that long. Also good to know not to keep playing them! It's actually kind of a shame, though, because my crank phonographs are the only music players I have, other than crappy mp3 files... Now I don't know what to do with them.

What I did was acquire an old, but recent enough to be solid state, Califone table-top phonograph. They are ruggedly built, being designed for use in schools, and show up frequently on eBay for not much money. And new cartridge reproducers (which include the stylus) are readily available, also for not much money. I use it to play things like Vogue picture discs and vinyl 78s, that would soon be toast with an old acoustic machine. It also gets a workout when I am cleaning and testing a batch of newly acquired 78s so I don't spend half my time winding springs.

Yesterday I got a call from a friend who noticed a couple of albums of 78s at a local thrift shop. I went to look at them and bought both, as the records are in great condition. The best of the 2 was a 4-record Commodore set; 1946 recordings by the "Original Dixieland Jazz Band." Some of the players had been members of the band since 1918! They sound great and they fill a hole in my collection as I had very little authentic Dixieland. Another record in the bunch is a shiny copy of Louis Jordan's fun "Saturday Night Fish Fry."

Clay