The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Let the learning begin!! With the VV-220 that I just received, what are the appropriate records that could or should be played? Last thing I want to do is to destroy a perfectly good record.

The Victrola was built during the acoustic era, so my suggestion is to play records from the early 1920s or before. The Victor Talking Machine "batwing" label is the way to go, until you get more familiar with record types.

Thanks. It came with a few of that batwings but the majority appear to be a red labeled Victor. It also came with a few Columbia and Majestic.

You can play more modern records on it (30s andPOSSIBLY early 40s) but you have to have the appropriate soundbox from the appropriate era, the reproducer on there now with the mica diaphragm was made before the introduction of electrical records so mus be used with acoustic records to ensure minimal wear!, you would then have to get a different soundbox for electrically recorded records, for my hmv 31 i used to use a hmv no4 soundbox because that was designed for acoustic and electric records, i have since managed to get a meltrope 3 soundbox which has a metal diaphragm and can handle just about anything i throw at it, next up for me would be the victor orthophonic or the hmv 5a/b which are best for electrical records but for these you are talking alot of money and then comes the king, the emg/expert soundbox which (when properly tuned and rebuilt) will produce results like no other with any appropriate record but unless you want to spend $600-700+ then that can be wiped off the wish list!, there are countless other soundboxes inbetween, each designed for a slightly different purpose, some just acoustic, some acoustic and electric and some just electric

Scott: There are some online sites that show 78 labels for reference, as least enough to get you into the correct decade for the acoustic records. Then there is always the "Docks" book, or more specialized references....i.e. just Columbia records for example.
Try http://majesticrecord.com for a starter.

John

Thanks John. I'm on it...

For me, 1925 is the cut-off year. That's when the major labels started recording electrically (with the exception of Edison, naturally). Your machine will perform best with laterally recorded discs made before this year. When companies started using electric microphones in 1925, the records contained a lot more information in the grooves; too much for the old reproducers to handle.
To find the recording dates of your records, try this:
http://www.78discography.com

I'm heretical on this issue, as I play all of my "shellac" (but not vinyl!) 78s on my VV-XI with Exhibition, using soft-tone steel needles almost exclusively (exceptions are some acoustics, where medium-tone gives better results, but of course with an increase in surface noise). I suppose if I were to play a record hundreds, or even dozens, of times, there might be a noticeable wear problem, but that's not my practice, and anyway I have no way of knowing how much play my records had before I acquired them. You often see the claim that the "shellac" formulae changed after a certain year (I see 1935 advanced regularly), but I don't know whether anyone can say with certainty what those formulae are (I use the plural because the companies seem to have each had their own proprietary recipe), or what bearing this would have on record wear without doing some rigorous, i.e., destructive, testing. Similarly, you will get differing opinions about acoustic vs. electrical (pre- or post-1925) recordings. All I know is that my electrical Columbia jazz recordings sound terrific on the XI, likewise the early Victors (Caruso is a knockout, also Galli-Curci) and the rest. As always, YRMV!

Thanks to everyone for the massive amount of great information on this subject. My learning curve ir steep, to say the least.... I'm learning and I really appreciate it. I will try to post a short video with the motor cleaned and the reproducer rebuilt.. This is a good time.

Scott wrote:Thanks to everyone for the massive amount of great information on this subject. My learning curve ir steep, to say the least.... I'm learning and I really appreciate it. I will try to post a short video with the motor cleaned and the reproducer rebuilt.. This is a good time.

I should have added that a rebuilt sound box is essential. My Exhibition has new front and back gaskets. The front gaskets are *very* compliant, and the mica is intact (I believe it's original). Knowing what I now know, I would not have played any of my 78s with my Exhibition in its un-rebuilt condition; the gaskets had all hardened, the needle bar was O/O/A, and compliance was nowhere. Might as well scratch a nail along the grooves! Also make sure that the sound box is correctly mounted on the goose neck, and its up-and-down travel is nice and free; a drop of thin oil on the joint of the goose neck should do the job.