The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I've seen refrences once or twice in various corners of the internet in reference to adaptors for victrolas to play diamond discs (as opposed to the more common lateral cut on an Edison machine). They must be rare, if they exist at all. My question is do they even exist and does anyone have a picture?

Thanks,
ImperialGuardsman

They do exist but I have no photos and I've never owned one. I remember reading the point that nothing plays a Diamond Disk as well as an Edison. Perhaps others can comment on the sound quality of an adaptor and also if there is a difference in record wear.

They do exist- you could buy elbows to fit onto the end of the Victor gooseneck and turn the reproducer. There was also the Hughes Stylus- it fit into the needle chick and extended sideways- the jewel stylus was built in.

I've never had one of them, but I do have a Cheney machine which uses a second soundbox for vertical records. It plays Pathé discs very well & Edison discs sound good, though not as good as on an Edison.

It's coincidental that a correspondent (and a member of this board) asked me the same question last week. Here are scans from Antique Phonograph Gadgets, Gizmos, and Gimmicks, along with scans from Antique Phonograph Accessories & Contraptions. It pays to know what's out there!

George P.

I believe there was also a brand known as Vicsonia Victor / Edison DD Adaptor and these do show-up on eBay occassionally. I think I even bought a duplicate once as I forgot I already had one. I have a bad habit of doing that.

I have an attachment that plays Edison on a Victor. I thought it would be cool to play an Edison on an outside horn Victor. However, I agree with the statement, an Edison should only be played on an Edison. The item I have is a Visconia adapter I got on ebay a while ago. It's more of a curio.
Harvey Kravitz

Here are a few pictures of a Visconia adapter before I rebuilt it for someone.