The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi Talking Machine Forum. Here as you can see i have a Grey Gull record. Sounds like garbage but they're interesting. Are these worse because of the material or the recording method? Research I've done seems to support both. Thanks and just curious.

These Grey Gull records were made with poor materials that degrade fast with each play. If you find one with little wear it will sound ok, more or less like the other acoustic records of the period, but it is not easy to get one in good playable conditions.

I have a huge soft spot for the Grey Gull brands. Maybe an underdog thing! I agree, both.

The recording of the later electricals has a kind of overloaded 'edge' which is essentially unpleasant - although with the hot jazz and dance sides, some of which are deliciously crazy, I think it adds a certain something to the fun, in a weird way!

The material is poor also. There may well have been some other resinous ingredients as well as shellac (there were all kinds of now largely forgotten materials used as cheapeners or physical modifiers - one being factice, an oil based substance heavily crosslinked to the point of being a crumbly jelly). And, I've heard, possibly unusual solid fillers such as ground cotton waste. It's one of those brands that often has a 'burning' effect when played with thorn or fibre needles so it's best to keep to steel for playing on acoustic machines.