Another RCA CT-100 discovery B8001599

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Penthode

Yes I am an inveterate 78 collector. The Rachmaninoff is the 1929 recording with Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra and Sergei Rachmaninoff at the piano.

"Rachmaninoff Plays Piano Concerto No 2 (1929)" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/X_7O09ucelM

I have a small 78 RPM Collection myself, and one of the 78 RPM recordings I have is Rachmaninoff Playing his Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor with the Philadelphia Orchestra w/ Eugene Ormandy Directing (I'm assuming the recording was from the same time period as your Rachmaninoff recording which would fo been between 1929 and 1931 and it is a recording meant to be used on a record player with an electrical pickup as opposed to an old mechanical pickup device like the old crank-up victrolas had.)

The records and the case/jacket are in mint condition.

[Penthode]

The Rachmaninoff 3rd Concerto was recorded by the composer in 1939-40. By that time apart from portable record players, the living room record player was electronic. However in 1929, phonographs were still predominantly acoustic hence the recording equalization characteristics were governed by them. The characteristic in 1929 was "constant velocity" whereby the velocity of the stylus across the audio bandwidth governed loudness.

To improve disc signal to noise and also to increase playing time, a constant amplitude charactistic was introduced in the 1930's. Hence 1940 recordings played on an acoustic phonograph would have diminished bass frequencies and boosted highs, making the records sound shrill.

Unfortunately record equalization remains a little understood technological evolution which leads us to having to endure an obnoxious cacophony of Elvis Pressley and Eddie Fisher 78's on vintage 1910's era Victrolas at antique markets.

[Penthode]

Been studying, photographing, drawing and documenting the construction of the mouse affected chassis. I have decided to dismantle the affected areas, clean the chassis bright and apply a coat of zinc silver paint over the cleaned portion. I shall only begin dismantling after the total documentation leaves no ambiguity how to accurately reconstruct.

Meanwhile, the speaker de-rusting was complete and a coat of silver paint applied. The speaker has been reassembled and tested.