Phonoland

I am struggling to find information on the old Pathe phonographs and their operation. After hours of messing with the motor I have it working and the turntable is finally spinning when using the speed control on fast. However, when I assemble the producer to the arm it is so heavy that it literally stops the record from spinning. There does not appear to be an adjustment on the arm so I'm unsure if a part is missing, etc. I have a box of the original needles as well, which are not the glass type I've seen mentioned.

Can anyone provide some direction? Resources on this type of thing are hard to find.....

Hi John:

I'm no expert on Pathe' phonographs, but I do know that most were designed to play ONLY Pathe' and other brand records that were cut with a vertical groove. The groove is modulated to bob up and down. These are often called "hill and dale" records. (I don't know how much you know about them.)

This video shows a Pathe' phonograph in action -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb2Ri1y14P8

You'll note that the mica diaphragm faces forward, rather than to the side, as is the case with Victor Victrolas, Columbia Grafonolas, and most other types of record players. If your model has a reproducer like this, that cannot be turned or swiveled sideways, then you cannot play a Victor, Columbia, Brunswick, or any other brand of standard 78 rpm record, because they used lateral modulation for the groove. (The groove, in other words, zig-zagged sideways.)

Pathe' reproducers came with a special needle that was tipped with a sapphire ball, that fit the wide groove of Pathe' disks. You cannot play a Pathe' vertical cut record with a steel needle; it will destroy the groove.

Now, just to make matters even more confusing, some Pathe' records were center start, as shown in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLd-O8JbPfM


Other Pathe' records were branded "Pathe' Actuelle" bearing the phrase "needle cut" on the label. These were laterally recorded, and could be played with steel needles on Victrolas, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHFDM_oBRLs

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path%C3%A9_Records

Joe

Thank you, Joe. I have two producers. One is larger and looks like the first video in your message. The second smaller one has the needle coming straight down from the producer with no slant like the big one. The arm also appears to have an extension that is curved that holds the producer sideways. If I take the extension off it appears to hold the producer facing me like shown in your first youtube link.

After reading your explanation I'm assuming they had this so they could play both types of records. Either way I use it, it sounds like I must have the old Pathe records? Because I was trying to play it using a needle on both producers, and on a columbia record. I will try and take a picture of these later today and upload them in case it helps.

Thanks for responding...
Trish Johnson

The reproducer (AKA "sound box") with the straight downward pointing needle bar is definitely the one to use with the adapter for playing standard laterally cut 78s, such as Columbia or Victor records. The other one, used without the adapter, is for Pathe' and other vertically cut records.

Joe