[78-L] Home 78 rpm disc Recorder

[Michael Biel]

On 7/16/2011 4:08 PM, Royal Pemberton wrote:
> It would be a bit of a toy, really, not something that made a quality
> recording, then or now.

I have 4 or 5 of these home machines, some Wilcox-Gay Recordios and a 
Silvertone.  Then I have a couple of quality Presto portables.  The pro 
machines are becoming very pricey now with some very eager collectors.  
I suppose the home machines will start to go high if in good shape, and 
all of mine are.  Blanks still turn up occasionally although they are 
not anywhere near as good as they were when new.  The cutting needles 
are hard to find unless you are lucky.  Even if you find a couple they 
were meant to be resharpened often -- not really possible now -- or 
disposable.  They were cheap then, and the only ones available now are 
for highly professional machines and are VERY expensive.  A new pro disc 
would cost almost as much as the machine you are looking at.

A toy, a conversation piece, and something to give you some first hand 
experience with, but not something to make a quality recording.  $30 
bucks is probably worth it.  That's what I've paid for a couple of my 
better home machines.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com
> On Sat, Jul 16, 2011 at 8:58 PM, Dennis Flannigan<
> dennis.flannigan at gmail.com>  wrote:
>
>> Thanks for quick responses. It was not Silvertone, but a brand I'd never
>> seen before in any context. I'll check the brand this week, and at least
>> ask
>> about a recorder I can identify.
>>
>> However, a follow up question. Is there any value to such an item? I don't
>> mean will someone buy it; but other than for sport, is there a single
>> reason
>> one would still use it?
>>
>> I suspect thirty bucks would make me the "proud, new owner." It's after
>> that
>> where I get worried. Addicts never really need to try a new drink, and
>> perhaps my addiction to 78s doesn't need a new genre for mere or more
>> folly.
>>
>>
>>
>> df
>>
>>
>> I'll bet it was (is?) a Silvertone (from Sears).
>>
>> Don Chichester