The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I've just been going through some records and have come across some Pathé records I forgot I had, I like Pathé records, but I havent a way to play them at present, has anybody got a spare Pathé universal soundbox for sale?, ideally with the Pathé sapphire stylus in situ

I can send you a sapphire needle for pathés, but have no soundbox. Have you tried to use a standard 18mm 90° copper elbow to make an adaptor? I did this to use an hmv101 to play pathé records, and it worked well. You simply position the no4 soundbox in perpendicular orientation, with a certain slope, so it can read vertical grooves.
PM with your address and next week I'll send you a letter with a couple sapphires inside. I lately bought a nice green Decca needle tin that came with several varied needles, among them some sapphire ball needles that I don't need. I already have two, plus some more from this box for spare.
It's curious, but the tin also had some strange glass needles, and others made from plastic, also thorns, etc. A previous owner must have been an experimenter!

kirtley2012 wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 7:41 am I've just been going through some records and have come across some Pathé records I forgot I had, I like Pathé records, but I havent a way to play them at present, has anybody got a spare Pathé universal soundbox for sale?, ideally with the Pathé sapphire stylus in situ

Alex, I am not aware of any universal adapter. There are soundboxes that can swivel around, but they only fit in arms with a specific diameter. There are also adapters that fit in the Victor/HMV arm, but not on others. The one you are looking for is to fit on which arm?

Mike, that links leads to a non existent webpage, but if you go there and write. May 2011 directly in the search box, it will lead you there.
The directly copied and pasted link doesn't work for some unknown reason, at least on my mobile phone...
It's a very interesting site.
I searched there for Steven C Barr, as the blog sems to be Canadian. I found some articles written by him.
Anyone in the forum knows about him? David Lennick told me in the 78-L that poor Steven was not well, he had gone to a nursing home. What may have been of him and of his giant record collection...

kirtley2012 wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 7:41 am I've just been going through some records and have come across some Pathé records I forgot I had, I like Pathé records, but I havent a way to play them at present, has anybody got a spare Pathé universal soundbox for sale?, ideally with the Pathé sapphire stylus in situ

They do turn up on UK eBay from time to time, which is how I obtained mine, but I did have to buy a new stylus for it.
I have a second one fitted with a thumbscrew for inserting steel needles to play Marathon etc records.

kirtley2012 wrote: Thu Mar 18, 2021 7:41 am I've just been going through some records and have come across some Pathé records I forgot I had, I like Pathé records, but I havent a way to play them at present, has anybody got a spare Pathé universal soundbox for sale?, ideally with the Pathé sapphire stylus in situ

Seems a bit pricey, but I think this is want you're wanting?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TETE-GRAMOPHON ... OSwCEhejwm~

Look for these items in French eBay.fr.... You'll get much better prices! Also in leboncoin.fr
You'll have to check if they deliver to uk, and pay postage, but it will be much cheaper than from America. France is flooded with Pathé hardware! Shipping to uk must not be expensive...