The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I recently purchased an Edison Army-Navy machine as you already know from reading about the records that were played to wounded soldiers near the front lines in France in 1917-18 that came with the machine in the Music section. It also came with what I think is a Kentone adapter. The mica is blacked out so I can't see the manufacturer's name. My question is can my Kentone play Pathé records as well as 78s? I saw a pic online of a Kentone with two needle chucks with one pointed straight out like on an Ultona reproducer. Does the Kentone adapter have to have two needle chucks in order to play a Pathé record with a sapphire ball stylus of course. The other adapter shown says Supreme on the mica and is only for 78s. The Kentone seem like it can be put in position to play a Pathé, but I'm not sure about the needle chuck. Marc.

These things seem to have come in various designs. On mine, loosening a set screw frees the reproducer to rotate 90 degrees for vertical cut, including Pathé. Just a matter of putting the right stylus or needle in the (on mine, single) chuck. So, yes, in principle one can play a Pathé with a Kent attachment. In practice, I've never found that it works all that well, what with the fussy, shallow Pathé grooves and the Kent's odd tracking performance. But then, I've never much cared for the cumbersome way it works with laterals, either. My take is that Edison machines are great for playing Edison discs but one should get something else for other brands. Not necessarily a Pathé machine for Pathés, mind; I have a vertical cut adapter for Victor machines that works great playing Pathés on my Victor V, and I've had success with it on a "Swissie" as well.

[edit] By "play a Pathé with a Kent attachment," I mean an outside start Pathé. Given that the Edison incorporates an outside-in mechanical feed, the Kent will not fare well with an inside-out etched label Pathé.

It looks to me like the one with the round reproducer should swivel to play vertical cut discs. They are tricky to use, even on laterals as drh said. I have 2 of them. One is for laterals only, the other is for both laterals and verticals both. I only have 5 or 6 sapphire ball records, so it doesn't see much use.

Jim

I have a similar one to the round reproducer. I've never had much luck getting it to track Pathé's either. The volume on laterals also seems to be very low.

The Kent is one of the best lateral attachments made for the Edison but it was not designed to play Pathé vertical cut records.