CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[mc86]

Gang -

So I have come into a few dozen books of 78s of classical recordings that appear to be in very good condition or better. These are recordings from the 30s and 40s that were astutely collected and selected (for the most part) b/c they are historically significant renditions or are unique somehow. Stuff like Arthur Schnabel's very first Abby Road recordings of Beethoven's sonatas and concertos, for example. A particular recording of Schnabel playing beethoven's concerto No 4 has been re-issued on just about every format to come down the pike since. In 1986, the NYT called it out, for example.
http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/01/arts/a-selective-guide-to-50-new-classical-cd-releases.html

Anyway, how would these sound on a nice turntable? Awesome? Like crap? I only have an old hand-crank Victrola type player and wouldn't play these on that crude machine for fear of wearing them...

cheers,
Matt

[Nashou66]

you need a special Needle for 78's I heard, other wise you'll ruin the needle and or the records.

Athanasios

[zaphod]

and the eq on 78s was not standardized to RIAA, so early preamps had settings for London, Decca and so on.

heck even "78" wasn't always "78"

if you got a variable pitch turntable that played 78, and had a proper 778 needle in it, and you pushed it through an old pre with different EQ settings, then you would get really close to what those platters can produce.

would be an interesting exercise for sure.

[mc86]

I found someone playing around about this a little on you tube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dKJ-vTGCiE

Here is a video of those 78s being made in Camden, NJ. I actually have those strauss waltzes (set p-14 in 10")...think I'll go ahead and put them on the gramophone!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrq4fwKjaIs

Matt

[garyfritz]