His Master

I went to a antique shop at the weekend and saw this small gramophone.I have never see so little phono before so I bought it.But I don

It's an attachment for radios or other phonographs. It is intended to add 45 rpm capability to previously made phonographs.

The little 45 changers were produced for such adaptors, and also for self-contained phonographs for teenagers.

Originally, RCA envisioned the 45 as replacing all other kinds of records (it had the same playing time as a 12'' 78). They even re-issued classical music on 45 rpm records.

But replacing all other kinds of records with 45s didn't happen, because the LP had a longer playing time. And if it hadn't been for teenagers and the jukebox industry, we would have had only 33 rpm records for the new formats (with a 7'' 33 single).

A little history.

- RCA developed the 45 system in 1939, except that a suitable pickup cartridge was not available. So it was kept secret. When the US entered World War II, the 45 system was all but forgotten. The main advantage was a record changer without clumsy record rim shelves - all the record dropping parts were in the spindle.

- Just after the war ended, the problem was solved in two different ways for the standard 78 rpm record (the pusher spindle with overarm, and the umbrella spindle).

- When Columbia developed the LP system in 1948, the pickup cartridge problem was solved. So RCA introduced the 45 system in 1949.

- Many people had just bought 2-speed changers for the LP when the 45 came on the market. So instead of replacing the changer again, many people added a second changer for 45. RCA even made consoles with two changers:



- Finally, after a lot of fumbling around (and some of the wackiest changer designs I ever saw), some good multispeed changers which handled both hole sizes appeared. V-M and Collaro came up with the most practical designs.

- Later the little 45 changers came with two speeds: 16 and 45.