RCA VICTOR 78 & 33 1/3 RPM RECORD CHANGER PROGRAM TRANSCRIPTION DEMONSTRATION

Here is a better view of the record changer in my RCA model 381 from 1934. The last record is a special RCA Victor Demonstration record called the victor artists party that plays at 33 1/3. Some RCA consoles had the option. The switch at the left of the turntable changes it from 78 rpm to 33 /1/3 to play the special program transcriptions. I swiched it right after the second record was removed. You can see the turntable slow down. The records came as one or two sided and 10 or 12 inch in size. The album sleeve tells you to use the RCA Victor chromium green shank needle for 78's. The red shank for recording on blank records. And orange shank for long playing records (33 1/3) After almost 30 years of throwing 10 or 12 inch records it has never broken one !! Enjoy !!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• RCA
• VICTOR
• 78
• RPM
• AND
• 33
• 1/3
• AUTOMATIC
• RECORD
• CHANGER
• PROGRAM
• TRANSCRIPTION
• DEMONSTRATION
• 1934
• MODEL
• 381
• FRANK
• CRUMIT
• THE
• REVELERS
• NATANIEL
• SHILKRET
• ARDEN
• PHIL
• ORMAN

[fromthesidelines]

Even though RCA officially discontinued the "Victor Program Transcriptions" in early 1933, 'tamspeci', they continued to manufacture consoles (with 33 1/3 rpm speeds and needles) to enable those who already bought the discs to continue playing them- and several "Program Transcriptions" were still offered in Victor catalogs as late as 1939. CBS/Columbia introduced the modern microgroove "LP" record in June 1948, which RCA countered with the microgroove "45" disc in March 1949.

[desoto1961]

@fromthesidelines Great info! Thanks!

[drjukebox]

I have had a few of those RCA changers. Still have one in the basement, a CA29 I think it is called, a coin-op device.

The first I had worked like it should, but I didn't have any 33 rpm records for it.

THe other two had a problem that seems to be common - IIRC it is some of the gears that are worn out or cracked. I put them aside for later.

Neat device, great looking tonearm and fun to watch. But my Capeharts are nicer still. :o)

[desoto1961]

@drjukebox Capeharts are the best!!!

[eastmolman]

can these early L.P.s be played on a modern stereo using a 78 rpm stylus?

[desoto1961]

@eastmolman Yes but you get a lot of noise.

[19Chuck80]

amazing 14 years before 33 1/3 records were officially out awesome,

[paxypaja]

aaahhhhhh where the record player throws the plate

[force311999]

looks to use the same cart. as in Mills Jukeboxes 

[Artcurus]

Holy Crap, and they talk about BSR being "the angry wife" changer (ever watched one of those drop 78's? ) However, I would LOVE to see that thing roll a SUN (Jerry Lee Lewis) or Speciality (Little Richard) 78.

[fromthesidelines]

You're welcome, 'desoto'. The Victor demonstration disc heard here, "Victor Artists' Party", featuring Crumit, the piano team of Victor Arden & Phil Ohman, "The Revelers" [Victor's vocal quartet], and Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra {performing the concluding "Mardi Gras" opus from Ferde Grofe's "Mississippi Suite"), and released around November 1931, was given away with the Radiola- Automatic Electrola (radio-phono combination), model RAE-59...try finding THAT one intact these days!

[fromthesidelines]

The big problem with the "Victor Program Transcriptions" was that they were marketed during the worst years of the Great Depression- RCA foolishly decided the ONLY phonographs they'd manufacture to play them were big console models like this one, sellling for $250 and up. Most people then didn't HAVE the money to go out and buy one of them. Only the "rich" could afford them- and there weren't enough well-to-do people to turn a profit from the discs, so RCA discontinued making them in 1933.

[Matrix803]

Dude, I wanna hear a Metallica record on that thing! xD

[TheMaxx111]

Really nice. Great song too. It looks like it would really scratch the hell out of records though.....