The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi all! I've just bought on Ebay two Edison diamond discs: the "black" ones, with Edison's face engraved on the left of the center. The problem is that I don't owe an Edison gramophone: can I play them on my Pathé gramophone using sapphire needles on a Pathé soundbox made for hill-and-dale records? I haven't yet received the Diamond discs, but I think that the grooves are thicker than those of Pathé discs, and I'm afraid to damage the Edisons by using sapphire needle. Is that true? If it's so, how can I do, and where could I buy a diamond needle that fits?

Thank you!
Carlo

No. The Pathé sapphire stylus is for grooves that are wide and shallow - quite unlike the Edison Diamond Disc.

I don't think damage would be something to worry about as they probably wouldn't track in the first place.

They won't damage the discs but you'll get little or no sound- if they track the grooves at all.

You can indeed get a diamond stylus that fits a Pathé reproducer to play Diamond Discs, but I don't recommend this. I have yet to see one that didn't leave marks on the records.

Thanks to all of you for your prompt answers! I won't absolutely damage the records: in the future I'll probably buy an Edison machine... I'll just try to use a very thin cactus needle, paying attention in order to preserve the delicate grooves; if my attempt will be satisfying, I'll post something about it.

Carlo

Carlo 1963 wrote:Thanks to all of you for your prompt answers! I won't absolutely damage the records: in the future I'll probably buy an Edison machine... I'll just try to use a very thin cactus needle, paying attention in order to preserve the delicate grooves; if my attempt will be satisfying, I'll post something about it.

Carlo

I've done that, slso using a fresh bamboo needle- I got some sound but the point broke down fairly fast

I've done some tests on vertical cut 78s with self-made bamboo needles, but I've achieved better results with cactus needles. I tried the most common ones, which can be found here in Italy, i.e. Echinocacti, and not Saguaros: I think that they are not the best ones, but they are interesting, being very sharp pointed. That's a problem, because they're quite weak, but after all you can sharpen them either with a needle sharpener or with a knife or with sandpaper; but i hope they'll fit better to the grooves of Edison DDiscs. I tried them with Pathé hill-and-dales, and the results are quite good, even if lesser than with the regular sapphire needles. In 15 days I should receive the two diamond discs, and I'll try with caution... I'll post the results!

Carlo

I've experimented with a number of cacti needles and found that the needles from a barrel cactus work best. I'll be interested to hear what you find (pun intended).

The DD will play but with little volume. The Pathé grooves are really much wider than DD.