[78-L] Pressed in WHAT material...

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Milan P Milovanovic" <milanpmilovanovic4 at gmail.com>
> Hello list members,
>
> I came across this article:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac
>
> Also this one:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite
>
> Both claimed that "some" records were made from bakelite:
>
> "Until the advent of vinyl around the 1940s, most gramophone records were 
> pressed from shellac compounds (although some were made from bakelite)"
>
> "Recording cylinders produced by the Edison Electric Company (now General 
> Electric) and 78-rpm phonograph records were originally made of Bakelite. 
> "
>
> I would like to know if such statements are close to the truth. I always 
> thought that no bakelite was used in phonograph record production.
>
Virtually ALL "78's" were pressed using shellac-based compounds! This is 
often described by
NON-knowledgeable people (usually eBay sellers!) as "bakelite." A handful of 
78's were
pressed on vinyl-based compounds during the early thirties, due to the 
effect of the war
on shellac production (and as well to provide quieter records for radio 
airplay!)

It is very possible that what the writer here describes as "recording 
cylinders" were, in
fact, the cylinders intended for "Dictaphone" use? OTOH, it seems to me that 
if there
were made of Bakelite, they would have been MUCH harder to record,,,?!

Steven C. Barr