At 08:52 AM 1/23/2003, you wrote: >Dear Harry, > The British Library National Sound Archive (from which I have just >retired) was asked to transfer a collection of about 200 such cylinders. The >NSA cylinder player had to be modified with a new "mandrel" to allow for the >extra length (about two inches more than usual), and because it was an >"amateur" format (in the sense that they weren't meant to be compatible with >Edison commercial cylinders), the speeds varied widely, between 70 and 200 >rpm as I recall. Also the groove pitch was tighter, about 150 turns per >inch. The BL cylinder player could cope with both those considerations, but >I know no other reproducer which can. Our cylinders were labelled >"Dictaphone". It seems this format was taken over by another American >company when Edison's cylinder business failed during the slump of 1929. >Peter Copeland The Archeophone can easily handle these variables and more, without modification. Kurt & Diane Nauck c/o Nauck's Vintage Records 22004 Sherrod Ln. Spring, TX 77389 Website: www.78rpm.com E-Mail: [log in to unmask] Phone: (281) 288-7826 Fax: (425) 930-6862