What are 78s? – Antique 78RPM

78s are antique/vintage records that rotate at 78 revolutions per minute (RPM). They were commonly made from shellac between 1898 and the late 1950s, and are also known as “shellac records”. Following World War II, when a need developed to distinguish the 78 from other newer disc record formats, they became known as 78s (or “seventy-eights”).

How To Identify 78s

Heavier than a normal vinyl record
Primarily 10″ in diameter (LPs are 12″ and 45s are 7″)
Most 78s have one song per side
They chip & break if care isn’t taken when handling
Sometimes 78RPM is printed on the label of later 78s
Early 1900 patent dates on some early labels

CONTACT

78.26 RPM

Early Records

The earliest records were recorded and played back acoustically, often with a hand crank and horn to amplify the sound. The size and speed of the discs varied widely, but by 1910 most records were recorded at about 78 to 80 rpm. The first records were made from shellac, a natural resin created by female lac bugs.

Victor recording session in the early 1900s.

Standardization

In 1912, the Gramophone Company set 78rpm as their recording standard, and by 1925, it was becoming standardized across the industry. In 1925, 78.26 rpm was chosen as a standard for motorized phonographs because it was suitable for most existing records and could be easily achieved using a standard 3600-rpm motor and 46-tooth gear (78.26 = 3600/46). Thus these records became known as 78s (or “seventy-eights”).

This term did not come into use until after World War II when a need developed to distinguish the 78 from other newer disc record formats. Earlier they were just called records, or when there was a need to distinguish them from cylinders, disc records.

Production

78rpm records were produced alongside newer formats into the late 1950s stateside and in less-industrialized countries into the 1960s.

Limitations

78rpm records had some limitations, including:

Record Wear: Caused by early gramophones with steel needles and careless play

Recording time: A 10″ disc could record approximately 3 minutes & a 12″ disc could record 5 minutes.

Shellac fragility: Shellac was fragile and had relatively low density recording grooves

HOW PHONOGRAPH RECORDS ARE MADE: One of the best videos I’ve found online that shows how an acoustic phonograph record was made over a 100 years ago.