The trick is not so much stylus size as shape. The groove is U rather than
V shaped. A stylus is required formed so it does not get hung up on the
shoulder of the groove since all the info is on the bottom.
An LP stylus, c. 1 mil, will usually clear and give decent but somewhat
noisy vertical reproduction. The more real estate the stylus encounters of
the groove bottom without touching the shoulder, the better the
signal-to-noise ratio. This is true for cylinders as well. Expert Stylus
in England made these and may still do so. They also made a doorknob-shaped
one for the scalloped Pathe vertical groove.
I believe Mr. Eberle mispeaks below when citing Teddy Roosevelt on Edison
discs. I know only of cylinders by him from this manufacturer. His discs
are all laterally cut.
Steve Smolian
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Eberle" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2010 2:51 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Edison Discs
> Regarding stylii for playback of Edison Discs :
>
> The Edison factory dimension spec for the stylus to play the 80 rpm
> Hill and Dale Diamond Discs is .0047" . So ; any smaller stylus , such
> as
> .003 " , made to play 78s will ride the bottom of the groove and not the
> sidewalls resulting in less than optimum tracking of the modulation and
> degraded audio playback .
> There are likely to be custom stylii manufacturers who could supply the
> proper size stylus for your
> favorite cartridge . I prefer to use a meticulously maintained Edison
> C-250 Laboratory Model Phonograph to play and to re-record my Edison Discs
> .
>
> It is of interest that the Diamond Disc repertoire contains many gems
> by artists such as : Serge Rachmaninoff piano performances , Fletcher
> Henderson's Orchestra ,
> Vernon Dalhart of Prisoner's Song Fame , early country recordings by
> Ernest
> V. Stoneman ,
> Fiddling Powers Family , Gene Austin & George Reneau and Cal Stewart (
> Uncle Josh ).
> Not to mention the US Marine Band , Billy Murray , Ada Jones ,and
> recorded
> speeches by
> Teddy Roosevelt and so much more .
>
> And the audio quality of these recordings outstanding for their time ,
> check out the
> famous Edison Tone Tests where artists performed in public in direct
> comparison with their
> Edison Discs !
>
> There is a treasure trove of music and audio history available on Edison
> Diamond Discs and nowhere else .
>
> Just my 2 cents - - - again .
>
> John Eberle
> AMERICANA CD MASTERING
> 313 EAST COLLEGE STREET SUITE 3A
> DICKSON , TENNESSEE 37055
> 615-441-4660
>
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