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I've seen off brand reproducers for playing both lateral and vertical cut records...I saw one on a Claxtonola and another one on an Emerson phonograph. The reproducer head swivels 90 degrees to play the vertical cut records. Should a normal steel needle or a sapphire needle be used when playing the vertical records such as Pathé, etc.?

Thanks,

AR

Pathé uses a sapphire ball, as do many other verticals, except edison diamond discs which uses the diamond stylus and there's another vertical cut record which I've forgotten the name of that uses a steel needle for vertical grooves

Okeh records were advertised as being suitable with either sapphire ball or steel needle.

Pathé is sapphire only. The shallow grooves of a Pathé disc probably won't hold a steel needle without skipping.

If the record doesn't have a warning about using only with sapphire ball, I think it's probably okay to use with a steel needle.

There are only a few verticals that use steel needles. Early Okeh and early Operaphone come to mind. Search the board and you'll find others, I'm sure.

I tested the composition of some broken Pathé verticals and there are no abrasives in them for a steel needle to be suitable.

After all, they're "Sapphire Records."

I have used the cactus thorn needles on the few vertical shellac records I have and they work well.

-bill

Thanks everybody for the feedback!

AR