The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I picked up this neat little item today. It slides right over the ring of a Victor Exhibition reproducer and voila, you've got an instant vertical adapter! I was amazed to hear well well it works with Pathé discs and even DDs using a diamond tip, although I still wouldn't play my good DDs with it. Pretty neat!

Sean

PS...I have more photos I'll post, but iPhoto keeps uploading them sideways!

Finally!!!

viola, you've got an instant vertical adapter!

Does it work for violins too, or just violas?

(Sorry, as a violist, I couldn't resist... )

Doh!!!

I'll fix that, ahem...

Sean

Nice find Ortho! That is much neater than most adapters having squirrely
extensions.

Oh, I wish I could have this one - you were really lucky to have this one, Sean!

The HUGHES stylus operates on the same idea, but it fits in the needle chuck (won't fit an Orthophonic, darn it) and its Pathé ball is permanently attached. It also sounds lousy enough to remain in its envelope and on the shelf, as a novelty item !

ps - I just went upstairs to confirm that the Pathé ball is permanently attached (it is) and that it sounds as bad as I remember it ... only to find that the Exhibition's thumbscrew is snapped off, flush with the chuck! Ack. No idea when or how THAT happened; I suspect family members (wasn't the cats, that I know)

Really? I have a HUGHES here as well that I picked up NOS at a Wayne show...it works great! Agreed that it won't fit an ortho, but I have a little adapter here so I can stick an Exhibition, #2 or #4 on it and use that. Works and sounds great. Did you try rotating the reproducer back a bit with your HUGHES? It makes a huge difference....the paperwork tells you the proper angle, so you just rotate the Victor back a bit...use plumber's tape to keep it secure...it works.

Sean

What is the BEST way to reproduce a Pathé record on a Victor talking machine?

Did Victor ever use the term "Victor phonograph"? To me it is a contradiction in terms.

Um, sorry, I didn't want to say Victor Victrola because I'm using it on my Victor III "talking machine".

Pathé actually made an adapter for Victor machines as well, which I also have. I collect these because I find them fascinating. This ARL is very nice and plays verticals very nicely, as does the HUGHES stylus and the Pathé adapter. Others I have are OK at best, but these three mentioned here are the best ones I've encountered so far.

Sorry for using "phonograph" incorrectly...I refer to all of my machines as "phonographs" though.

Sean