[78-L] Victor electrical <E> ( E )

[Michael Biel]

From: don ward <dward7 at earthlink.net>
> Ok guys when Victor went Electric they identified the matrix
> with an E inside a diamond, then they went to E inside an oval. 

Nope, you got it backwards.  The oval came first,  The diamond didn't
come until the early 30s.

> Each seems to have a different sound/frequency response?
> or something. What is the difference between the two issues.... 

The oval designated the original "rubber line" Western Electric cutter
head and system. The ledgrs show VE in the column after the size letter
(B=10", C=12") Around 1930 we start seeing SHQ and RC in addition to VE
on some entries in the ledger.  SHQ which was later shortened to S was
improved Western Electric cutters, and RC was an entirely RCA designed
and built system.  Because Brian Rust has ignored the use of the Victor
prefixes in his discographies (except when Alan Debus forced him to
include them in the Complete Entertainment Discography) we do not
generally have the letters to compare with which ones deserved a diamond
rather than an oval.  

The accidental stereo Ellington Program Transcriptions resulted in
experimenting with SHQ and RC equipment simultaneously.  The early 30s
Astaire Victors have some of the best sound quality and sparkling highs
of anything done in that era, and I don't know what the letters are or
the shape of the symbol.

Mike Biel   mbiel at mbiel.com