The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

The Antique Phonograph Society just received the following query on its web site:

I have a 1930 Speak-O-Phone disk that I believe holds a
21st birthday message from my grandmother to my father. I have no ability to
play the disk and I am not sure what shape it is in. Might you be aware of any
group/individual that I could pay to have the disk looked at and hopefully
transcribed onto a DVD? I live in Birmingham, MI 48009, a suburb of Detroit.
Thanks you for any help you can provide.

Unfortunately, the APS lacks the ability to contact members in specific localities en masse without tedious work with our membership roster and a road atlas. In addition, we don't typically solicit help from our membership unless they're in business!

However, this fellow clearly needs some assistance which, if I lived nearby, I'd be most happy to provide simply for the satisfaction of seeing his face when he hears his grandmother's voice. Are there any like-minded Forum members in the Detroit area who would be willing to help? If so, please forward me your name and contact information via PM; I will pass it along to the gentleman.

Best to all,

George P.

Birmingham is quite close to me. I'll PM you with my contact info.

digitizing people's family recordings is always fun sadly i live on the wrong continent
i would digitize and sent the recording via email i don't do cd's no more since most people are quite capable to do that themselves
i do all my digitizing an digital editing for free its just hobby for me and it lands me quite a number of records
most people nowadays want the sound of grandpa's record collection not the records(sad but true)

tino

I've had really good results in transcribing those Speak-O-Phine discs using a Pacent Phonovox pickup and fiber ( triangular bamboo) needles, and equal or perhaps better results using I-M thorns in a Western Elecrric 4A (oil damped) reproducer.

Remember that those plain aluminum discs have oddly shaped grooves. Most modern 3 mil or 2.5 mil diamond or sapphire styli will drown the program material in noise. Steel needles will tear the discs up. Fibers, eithe the triangular bamboo or the "KACTI" or the thorn, or the hardened Liginum Vitae will work well and safely. If you can find them, the European "Burmese Colour" points also do a fine job.

If Brandon decides to undertake this project he could do worse than use his restored RE-45 and thorn needles. That should do a pretty fine job.

I've had really good results in transcribing those Speak-O-Phine discs using a Pacent Phonovox pickup and fiber ( triangular bamboo) needles, and equal or perhaps better results using I-M thorns in a Western Elecrric 4A (oil damped) reproducer.

Remember that those plain aluminum discs have oddly shaped grooves. Most modern 3 mil or 2.5 mil diamond or sapphire styli will drown the program material in noise. Steel needles will tear the discs up. Fibers, eithe the triangular bamboo or the "KACTI" or the thorn, or the hardened Liginum Vitae will work well and safely. If you can find them, the European "Burmese Colour" points also do a fine job.

If Brandon decides to undertake this project he could do worse than use his restored RE-45 and thorn needles. That should do a pretty fine job.

What were Speak-O-Phone originally made to be played with ? Some fibre needle gizmo ?