The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Posted: **Thu May 24, 2012 5:02 pm**

estott wrote:Early Operaphone, Okeh, Gennet and Vocalion discs were intended to be played with a steel needle. Operaphone discs have a very fine cut which squeezes the material from a 10 inch disc onto 8 inches. They are very prone to wear and developing repeat grooves. Later Operaphone discs are conventional lateral.

Rex vertical cut discs play with a sapphire ball. I don't know about Par O Ket.

Early Emerson discs are supposed to have a 45 degree "Universal Cut" but play best as laterals.

Are you sure about the Okeh's? I wonder if there is some variant I haven't seen? All of the vertical-cut Okeh's that I have (with the Indian Head on blue label) are cut just like the Pathé and Rex disks.

I am also pretty sure that I have a Paramount record that was vertical cut.

Posted: **Thu May 24, 2012 6:11 pm**

Pathé discs can be bastards to track. The grooves are so shallow that the least wobble of the turntable can throw the stylus out. Warped discs are a nightmare. Oddly enough badly scratched discs seem to play fine

Posted: **Fri May 25, 2012 8:11 am**

estott wrote:Pathé discs can be bastards to track. The grooves are so shallow that the least wobble of the turntable can throw the stylus out. Warped discs are a nightmare. Oddly enough badly scratched discs seem to play fine

Not to mention, the turntable has to be completely level (at least with center start discs) or the tonearm can fly off without a moment's notice!

The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Can an Edison Diamond Disc machine play other vertical cuts?

Re: Can an Edison Diamond Disc machine play other vertical cuts?

Re: Can an Edison Diamond Disc machine play other vertical cuts?

Re: Can an Edison Diamond Disc machine play other vertical cuts?