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Hi All,

I recently added a nice Pathéphone (pic attached) to my collection but it only has the Pathé sound box. I'm looking for an attachment to play standard 78s on it.

Cheers,
Mario

You have probably already tried this, but can't you just put a steel needle into the chuck and play a regular 78?

Curt A wrote:You have probably already tried this, but can't you just put a steel needle into the chuck and play a regular 78?

That will not work, Curt, the soundbox has no compliance laterally, only up-and-down. It may produce a sound but will be bad - it will not pump the diaphragm - and will also wear the record, as the disc groove will drag the whole arm to track it.

French ebay frequently has soundboxes that fit on Pathé arm and can be turned around so they play both vertical and lateral cut records. The US Pathé also made such soundboxes, but I don't think these would fit into the French Pathé arm.

What you need is basically a tube of metal with a right -angled bend in it , one end to fit into your existing tone-arm ( after of course removing the Pathé sound-box ( thats a disc reproducer in American English ), and the other end to accept a normal type sound-box for playing lateral -cut 78rpm discs. Some models of Pathé disc machines were supplied new with the adaptor , or it could be purchased as an after -sales item. The good news is that original adapters turn up fairly frequently on UK ebay and French ebay. Otherwise , specialist dealer in UK , known on ebay as 'collectorsmachines' probably has one in stock he will sell you.
Good luck ! Regards Dulcetto

A copper ½" plumbing elbow works to change the orientation on a Victor to play Pathé discs, I wonder if it would work the other way around?

You can use something from a later Pathé tonearm, like this...

Hi,

I'm happy to just hang out until an original comes up. Other machines to play 78s but just wanted it to compliment the setup.

Cheers,
Mario

That's fine, but what is this "original" part that you're talking about? Who made it, and what does it look like?

mariof wrote:Hi,

I'm happy to just hang out until an original comes up. Other machines to play 78s but just wanted it to compliment the setup.

Cheers,
Mario

Mario, I am not sure that Pathé made such an adapter. I have some Pathé adapters to play lateral records but these were made in the 30s when Pathé had already shut down their production of vertical cut records, and even though these adapters have the knob to fit in the slot of the arm, their diameter is much smaller and does not fit in the arm of the old horn Pathéphones. Pathé sold adapters to fit their soundbox to HMV tone arms and allow these to play the vertical cut records, but I never saw the reverse adapter. There are several contemporary reversible soundboxes like the one shown in the previous posting that would allow your Pathéphone to play lateral records, but it would not be the original you are looking for. Maybe pathé made such adapter for the English market, some forum members more familiar with English Pathé could chime in. It would have to be a different soundbox altogether, as the Concert you have cannot properly track lateral discs due to the angle of its needleholder and its chuck is too wide for most steel needles.

Regards
Carlos

I think this is what you're looking for...