The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

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There isn't one that's cost effective. Watch some of the videos on youtube about early record production and you'll understand why.

Probably the best you could do is contract with one of the companies that presses vinyl records, but you wouldn't be able to play those on a steel needle-type machine.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no shellac-compatible record presses left anywhere in the world.

Probably the only [remotely viable] way would be to record initially to a 78 record lathe - but bear in mind, they emboss the groove (as opposed to cutting it) which means that the stylus or needle can ride between adjacent turns of the groove, instead of in the groove. This is because embossing throws up displaced material on either side of the groove. If you and potential customers can live with that, it would be a question of casting a silicone rubber mould and then casting the reproduced disc in a suitable hard resin.

Don Wilson who used to post regularly here on the TMF did this, both reproducing original rare records and making them from new recordings as above, but found that very few people wanted to pay the very reasonable prices for such things, so he gave up.

I've had similar thoughts in the past too! But it's clearly a pipe dream, unless one has money to throw into it that one doesn't need back.

Lastly, there are still occasionally mainstream (ish) small-run pressings of various things at 78rpm, e.g. for Record Store Day, but these are on vinyl, cut as microgroove and not suitable at all for steel needles or acoustic machines.

52089 wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:03 pm To the best of my knowledge, there are no shellac-compatible record presses left anywhere in the world.

Nor the enormous Banbury mixers and milling machines needed to mix and process the shellac compound - except in some rubber factories, although they wouldn't be useable for shellac without a lot of modifications (I used to work in such a factory years ago).

Orchorsol wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 4:56 am

52089 wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:03 pm To the best of my knowledge, there are no shellac-compatible record presses left anywhere in the world.

Nor the enormous Banbury mixers and milling machines needed to mix and process the shellac compound - except in some rubber factories, although they wouldn't be useable for shellac without a lot of modifications (I used to work in such a factory years ago).

Berliners were made with hard rubber though.

52089 wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:03 pm Probably the best you could do is contract with one of the companies that presses vinyl records, but you wouldn't be able to play those on a steel needle-type machine.

Ummm, if the recording is slowed down, you can play it on a gramophone after shredding the grooves to fit steel.

Misetrgramophone wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:11 am

52089 wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:03 pm Probably the best you could do is contract with one of the companies that presses vinyl records, but you wouldn't be able to play those on a steel needle-type machine.

Ummm, if the recording is slowed down, you can play it on a gramophone after shredding the grooves to fit steel.

?????

JerryVan wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:57 am

Misetrgramophone wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:11 am

52089 wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:03 pm Probably the best you could do is contract with one of the companies that presses vinyl records, but you wouldn't be able to play those on a steel needle-type machine.

Ummm, if the recording is slowed down, you can play it on a gramophone after shredding the grooves to fit steel.

?????

You can have the record pressed with a slowed down version and play it on a steel needle machine once and you get a 78!

Misetrgramophone wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 3:53 pm

JerryVan wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:57 am

Misetrgramophone wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:11 am

Ummm, if the recording is slowed down, you can play it on a gramophone after shredding the grooves to fit steel.

?????

You can have the record pressed with a slowed down version and play it on a steel needle machine once and you get a 78!

But, your steel needle will destroy the vinyl record, no matter what speed it's recorded or played back at.

JerryVan wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 4:27 pm

Misetrgramophone wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 3:53 pm

JerryVan wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:57 am

?????

You can have the record pressed with a slowed down version and play it on a steel needle machine once and you get a 78!

But, your steel needle will destroy the vinyl record, no matter what speed it's recorded or played back at.

Yes, it will also widen the groove allowing it to be played on a gramophone though.