[78-L] no vinyl on the Victrola? Well sorta... - was "New media" for Victrolas?...

[David Lennick]

Rodger Holtin wrote:
> V-Discs were "vinyl," and while I'm no expert on them, having recently seen one at a flea market and got to examine it pretty well, it appears that they made at least some V-Disc players that were 100% mechanical, just like the ol' Victrola, wind-up motor, acoustical playback head, steel needles and all.
> 
Makes sense, considering the lack of electricity in many parts of the world AND 
considering the condition in which many V-Discs have turned up. The main reason 
for pressing them on unbreakable material was that previous attempts to send 
records (commercial pressings) to war zones had seen many of them smashed in 
transit. And not all V-Discs were vinyl..most Columbias were pressed on their 
usual heavy laminated shellac.

> in 1960 one of my little playmates got a new record player and it had an electric motor that played 33/45/75 and also had an acoustical head and used straight steel shank needles.  I can only imagine what it must have done for the Chubby Checker Lps his sister played on it.  This is not a recommendation, only a report.

This explains the condition in which many Chubby Checker records have turned up....

dl