The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I'm new to this forum, so my apologies if this has been asked and answered before.I couldn't find anything when I searched.

I recently picked up a Pathé sapphire record with what appears to be the original sleeve. The sleeve says "Do not play Pathé records with steel needles", which is no surprise, as they are to played only with sapphire needles, but it also says "You can play Pathé records on any phonograph Ask your dealer how." So I'm asking.

I have a Victor VV-IX with a newly overhauled motor and rebuilt reproducer. Is it possible to substitute a sapphire needle for the steel one and play my Pathé discs on this machine? Does the reproducer need to be repositioned at all to do so?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, you can play vertical cut records on your Victrola, but not with steel needles and not with the standard orientation of your reproducer...
To play a vertical cut record like a Pathé or Edison Diamond Disc on a Victrola, you will need some type of adapter to change the orientation of the reproducer, along with a sapphire stylus for Pathés or a diamond stylus for Edison Diamond Discs. There are several different after market adapters that were made to play these types of record, the one shown below is only an example of one of many that were available...

Pathé were well aware that some owners would want to play their discs on conventional gramophones, and marketed this reproducer designed to fit a conventional tonearm.

epigramophone wrote:Pathé were well aware that some owners would want to play their discs on conventional gramophones, and marketed this reproducer designed to fit a conventional tonearm.

I have never run across that particular Pathé reproducer, although I have seen Pathé adapters for the J tube on a Victor machine. How would you search for that Pathé reproducer, is there a particular name for it?

2002too wrote:I'm new to this forum, so my apologies if this has been asked and answered before.I couldn't find anything when I searched.

I recently picked up a Pathé sapphire record with what appears to be the original sleeve. The sleeve says "Do not play Pathé records with steel needles", which is no surprise, as they are to played only with sapphire needles, but it also says "You can play Pathé records on any phonograph Ask your dealer how." So I'm asking.

I have a Victor VV-IX with a newly overhauled motor and rebuilt reproducer. Is it possible to substitute a sapphire needle for the steel one and play my Pathé discs on this machine? Does the reproducer need to be repositioned at all to do so?

Thanks in advance.

If you would like to see an adapter, fitted with a sapphire ball stylus, in action, showing the correct orientation to the record, here's a video I made of one playing a 14" Pathé center start disc. The machine is European, not a Victor, but evidently the arms have much the same dimensions, as the adapter also fits my Victor V.

(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)

Curt A wrote:

epigramophone wrote:Pathé were well aware that some owners would want to play their discs on conventional gramophones, and marketed this reproducer designed to fit a conventional tonearm.

I have never run across that particular Pathé reproducer, although I have seen Pathé adapters for the J tube on a Victor machine. How would you search for that Pathé reproducer, is there a particular name for it?

If there is a specific name I don't know what it is. I found mine, which has a continental (push on) fitting on UK ebay.

Here is another, the only example I have ever seen, which actually replaces the gooseneck. Look at what it sold for!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pathé-Disc-R ... 7675.l2557

I'm thinking about quitting from these interesting posts. In my collection of 5,000++ 78s I have but three dozen Pathé records... I've been resisting wildly to buy more, albeit there are many of them for sale in Spain. They are everywhere...
But seeing these photos and the beauty and collectability of these machines and records is a real danger ; temptations to extend my interests to these machines and records in full are attacking me intensely! Besides that, in Madrid these machines usually are cheaper than the usual 'big' brands...
Indeed, lately there is a noticeable source of French machines in Madrid. The gypsies at our local flea market are buying merchandises in the South of France CLEARLY, the market is flooded with Pathé and other brands of French machines and records, and really cheap! It's a real danger!

Inigo wrote:I'm thinking about quitting from these interesting posts. In my collection of 5,000++ 78s I have but three dozen Pathé records... I've been resisting wildly to buy more, albeit there are many of them for sale in Spain. They are everywhere...
But seeing these photos and the beauty and collectability of these machines and records is a real danger ; temptations to extend my interests to these machines and records in full are attacking me intensely! Besides that, in Madrid these machines usually are cheaper than the usual 'big' brands...
Indeed, lately there is a noticeable source of French machines in Madrid. The gypsies at our local flea market are buying merchandises in the South of France CLEARLY, the market is flooded with Pathé and other brands of French machines and records, and really cheap! It's a real danger!

Lucky you! I'd love to snare a nice Pathé open horn disc player with a strong motor, but the Pathé machines that turn up over here in the States are almost always riffs on the same plain-Jane half cabinet upright design, like the Model 100 that was my first spring phono, with the occasional paper cone Actuelle thrown in for variety (but always so remote from my location that there's no point considering them). Curiously, they may be commonplace in Spain, but whenever I see a machine or Pathé records from there on eBay, the starting bid or buy-it-now price is always sky-high.

Oh, well, I need a roof repair job, so new phonos are pretty much on hold anyhow...