The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I hauled-out one of my Edison Home machines to share with Easter guests tomorrow, repleat with 30" pansied Tea-Tray Co. horn.

Tonight I started merrily playing 2-minute Gold Moldies, and after about the sixth one, it really started to sound crappy - more surface noise than music (Collins & Harlan - "A-float on a five dollar note" ). I stopped the machine, and removed the sound box, figuring the stylus might be loaded-up with crud.

To my horror, I discovered that I'd been playing all these 2-minute cylinders on a 4-minute H reproducer (repro).

So, how much damage might this have caused the records or reproducer ?

All of these cylinders have some mold damage, so no "mint" records were victimized....

( Boy do I feel like a chump ! )

Probably none Frank, The 4M stylus is smaller in diameter and narrower, but the weights were the same so you should be ok. I've done it before myself and never noticed any damage.

Bill

Playing regular 2-minute wax with an H stylus does harm the groove, but the damage is not that devastating. The stylus usually cuts slightly the bottom of the 2-minute groove where it takes off some swarf. This does especially apply to the vast majority of 2M cylinders which aren't made from the later wax Amberol material.

A 2-minute stylus will likely pass over these minor damages without any noticeable difference. So, if the 4-minute stylus was in good shape you really don't have to worry much about it.

If you are still looking for 2-minute reproducer try to get a Model B. The bullet shaped stylus is significantly more gentle to a record than the widely used doorknob of a Model C.