The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I occasionally see Edison-branded needle packets offered for sale but to date I have not bought any. Edison was in the needle-cut record business for such a short time that I wasn't sure he'd bother to offer needles.

Does anyone know for sure whether or not these packets are real or just a nice looking fantasy item?

Yes, there are real Edison needle packs from the late period when they made needle cut records. These are pretty rare in my experience and I have the one pictured below. It seems to me I have seen them in a different color as well, but I cannot be sure about that. I would not open mine for anything. I just like having it.

Here are the other one's that I know of. I haven't been beating the bushes for them, but these are some that were in this C-2 when I got it.

I have a C-2 and use Medium Tone needles with it. I wonder what the difference is between Edison Electric Pick-Up Needles and plain Medium Tone needles? Marc.

I seem to remember having seen a green package as well. Soft tone, perhaps?

Jim

marcapra wrote:I have a C-2 and use Medium Tone needles with it. I wonder what the difference is between Edison Electric Pick-Up Needles and plain Medium Tone needles? Marc.

Electric Pickup needles are not for reproducers, they are for the arms of early electric phonographs with the salt rock pickup cartridges to the best of my knowledge.

I think they make diamond and sapphire needles for the crystal pickups that last a long time. I ordered one for my RCA special because the regular needles seem to be distorting the bass. Tom

The "Electric pickup" needles from the late twenties are really just medium tone steel needles. They didn't want you to overdrive the vibrating reed (or whatever you call it) inside the head between the rubber dampers. I would guess the other needles that Edison was offering, were meant more for the portable machines they were selling. And the attachments to play needle cut records on the diamond disk machines.

Thanks, Earl H. So I guess they labeled the package for electric pickups so the C-2 and C-4 owners would pick the right package!

Electric Pickup needles are not for reproducers, they are for the arms of early electric phonographs with the salt rock pickup cartridges to the best of my knowledge.

The crystal pickups you are describing here came later. My Edison 1928 C-2, as well as the 1929 C-4 have the older horseshoe magnet type pickups.