Odd / Rare Victor 6” 78 RPM Home Recording Records 5 + Orig Sleeve W. H. Painter

$

61

Odd / Rare Victor 6” 78 RPM Home Recording Records (5) + Orig Sleeve W. H. Painter  

Five discs all six inches. Surprisingly you can hear them pretty good using a bamboo needle. All – as far as I can remember – were made by RCA Victor employee W. H. Painter and are written on as follows: Top side of #1 W.H. Painter Oct. 23, 1930/”bottom of #2 WHP”, “Top side of #1 W.H. Painter Nov 22, 1930 – he talks about “new technology” and the employees in his area fear about losing jobs – finally 35 of the 75 were called to main office and offered transfers to “technology division” (his 2nd choice). Then he tells of recording radio programs on different receivers they have set up and how bad some of the frequencies are…” on “bottom”. “Top side of #2 W.H. Painter Nov. 22, 1930 / “nothing written on back”,  Top side of #2 W.H. Painter Nov 22, 1930/”bottom”, Top side of #3 W.H. Painter Nov 22, 1930/Bottom”. The rest seems to be a “letter” to his family wherein he describes working on technical equipment, “phase Four”, vice presidents getting fired right and left, rumor of a 4 day week with a 20% salary cut – and “they are only paying us $20 a week so a 20% pay cut would be tough.” He talked to a manager after a meeting and is getting transferred to the “Musical Instrument Division” where they have a new type of organ you can play using just waving parts of your body” -?, plus it’s really foggy and he wants to take Fri off to go to NY for Thanksgiving…etc. and he’s sending more discs of the guys “monkeying around” and just being silly to show how good the recording systems are. Much more – you can listen if you have 5 mil stylus or fibre/bamboo needle – NOT STEEL.

I also have about 30 more “Radio Broadcasts WJZ Philadelphia, WCAU: Vermont Maid, “Lopez Orch. Recording on WCAU,” “WCAU “Whistling Acc.” – ALL from Nov. – Dec 1930 that I will list – fascinating first hand info from 1930!. A home recording system was marketed by RCA beginning in late 1930. Instead of aluminum discs, the system used recording blanks made of a plastic material, either solid or bonded to a cardboard core, and unlike the smooth, ungrooved surface of the aluminum disc, the Victor blanks guided the tone arm along the surface of the disc by means of a narrow pre-groove. The wide, blunt tip of the special home recording needle spread this groove as it travelled along the disc, and embossed the modulations into the very top of that new, widened groove. The records had to be played back with the same wide needle, and playing them back today is very difficult -- a standard 78rpm stylus travels below the modulation, giving the impression of a weak recording. To play these discs properly, a stylus of at least 5 mils width is required. Home Recording was featured on several high-end radio consoles marketed by RCA from 1930 to 1932 under the Radiola, Victor Radio, and RCA Victor nameplates. Home Recording was also featured by General Electric and Westinghouse as a result of their cross licensing agreements with RCA. So, where are they? If hundreds, perhaps thousands of programs were recorded off the air before 1935, why do so few exist today?

PLEASE don't use eBay auto pay I will invoice you for shipping costs which will be easier and cheaper for you:

Insurance must be added for all items selling for $10 or more. 

We will pack securely but are not responsible for shipping company damage if uninsured.

1 record - $4.70 Add $1 for each additional record (+ insurance if required). (USA ONLY) (Int?l use eBay calculator and I will adjust to get cheapest rate)

E++, Visibly nearly new with no visible signs of wear or damage.

E+, Looks and plays like new with only few signs of handling and play.

E Still very shiny, near new looking, with slight visible signs of wear and a few nearly inaudible scuffs and scratches

E- Still shiny but without the luster of a new record, few scuffs that have little or no effect on play, some light scratches.

E- - Mostly shiny but with even less of the luster of an E- record, more scuffs than E-that have little or no effect on play, light scratches with some light noise.

VG+,  Slightly above average condition 78 in which scuffs and general use has dulled the finish somewhat. Wear is moderate but playing is generally free from distortion. Surface noise not overly pronounced.

VG, An average condition 78 - moderate wear throughout, but still very playable and enjoyable. Surface somewhat dull with noise and scratches audible but not intrusive.

VG-, Quite playable still, but with some distortion and may have some graying in loud passages. Music remains loud in most passages. Surface noise and scratches well below music level.

VG- - Quite playable still, but with distortion and most have some graying in loud passages. Music remains loud in most passages. Surface noise and scratches noticeable and may be loud at times.

G+ Quite worn and scratched, but music level is still higher than surface noise. Grey may be throughout but still serviceable. Music begins to sound muffled.

G Not so good. Wear and scratch damage extensive. Listening can become uncomfortable as music and surface noise probably blending. Lowest level music can be understood.

G-, Music barely audible over surface noise & listening is uncomfortable. Record is borderline unplayable.

P Used only for high dollar space fillers like Black Patti, Okeh blues, etc. Music covered by surface noise, scratches, and needle digs, label may be trashed, & listening is almost if not definitely impossible. Record is basically unplayable. What you keep because you can?t bear to toss ? while you look for that E+ copy of Robert Johnson on Vocalion at the local flea markets for $1 (Good Luck!)

See Description, A wildcard grade that can be used when standard grading does not apply or when a record (or item) has special attributes (or defects) that can affect how the item is assigned a grade.