Really Big Records

[Andyman]

Anybody know anything about these big boys?

They're like about 15 1/2" in diameter and look to be some sort of advertising agency info pressed by RCA and 33 1/3 rpm. Cindy picked them up at an estate sale and we're wondering what the deal is on them.

If you've run across these guy or know something about them, let me know!!

TIA!

[steve gibson]

I think the are really hub caps. My guess is it was a way to get more tracks on one record? Never seen one b/4.

[Paulfxl]

I saw some at an antique store not to long ago. My memory is vague, but I think the owner told me they were used in studios to record radio shows or presentations that were longer than a standard LP could hold.

I could be totally wrong....

[TrexT]

They are transcription records that were used by radio stations and some institutions. I have 6 regular size transcription classical records from Canada that I picked up at a Goodwill recently.

[mhardy6647]

Yup... 16" records were transcriptions made and/or used in radio stations. Thye content might be program or commercials. My father (a broadcast engineer in the 1950's) has a few cut at the station (WITH-AM in Baltimore), including one of music and DJ patter that he made for my mother on one of their first anniversaries :-)

The 16" discs he has are some sort of black plastic(?) material over an aluminum sheet base. He has a tray he made out of one (with the outer layer removed)!

[Celt]

Originally Posted by mhardy6647

The 16" discs he has are some sort of black plastic(?) material over an aluminum sheet base. He has a tray he made out of one (with the outer layer removed)!

The material is a laquer that wears very easily, but generally has a very quiet surface for the first dozen playings. I have a few test laquers of my old band and one from Styx when they were on RCA's Wooden Nickel records.

[Trawlerman]

I heard that Hank Williams released a few of these in the early 50s.

According to a show on BBC radio that I heard recently they play from the inside to the outer rather than the normal way that an LP does.

Myself, I would keep them just for the novelty value. Although you may be hard pressed to find a machine that can play them these days unless of course you get an extended plinth Thorens with a 12" arm. Rare beasts but they do exist.

[mhardy6647]

According to a show on BBC radio that I heard recently they play from the inside to the outer rather than the normal way that an LP does.

Actually, they could be cut either way, I think. The labels on the WITH lacquers had two check boxes: "start in" and "start out", and (according to my ol' man) that's why.

I'll photograph some of these next time I am in Baltimore (if I remember).

[Chad Hauris]

The reason why some of these records were cut inside out is that the sound quality somewhat changes as the tonearm gets to the center of the record. If you had a 1 hour program on 16 inch records the first half hour would be recorded "regular" and then the second half hour would be recorded with the start at the center of the record so there would not be as much of a difference in sound quality.

Personally have not observed a huge difference in the sound quality from beginning to end of the record but I have read that this is the reason for the reverse cut transcription records.

If there is a radio station around you like an old AM station that's been around for a while, they may have some 16" turntables or tonearms in storage that they could sell you or give you.

[Aage]

Transcription records were used by radio stations before tape became common (and affordable) after WWII. Stations that had syndicated shows distributed them to their affiliates using this medium. They were widely used for commercials, too.

I have several, buried with my vinyl records. One of them is dated 1946, and is the then president of Simpson's (a long-gone Canadian department store) "welcoming the men back from overseas". Another one is a serial adventure story (can't remember what story mind you) that was sponsored by Norge laundry equipment.

During the war when gasoline was rationed, it became difficult to procur them, and some were made of steel. I once saw a glass one that a friend of mine owned.

Tonearms on record players were made longer to play them. For example, SME, the famous British tonearm manufacturer made the well-known SME 3009 for 12" records, and the SME 3012 for 16" records.

I have a 3012 mounted on what I believe was the first Sony DD turntable, the TT-4000. Back then the 4000 was only sold (in Canada at least) as a deck, no arm and no base. One of these days I'll haul it out and take a photo.

The SME3012 had a small gathering (which included me) that bought it to reduce tracking error. Longer arm=less error over the disc. Later, I got a Rabco SL-8E and only kept the TT4000/SME3012 for nostalgic reasons, and to be able to play the 16" records to impress friends.

[www.records]

Yep, those are transcription records. I have several of them myself, but nothing to play them on. I have several that are marked Navy, for Armed Forces Broadcast, and have several that have advertising clips that are on red vinyl. Winston Cigs, Pepsi, and I did have a Coca Cola one, but I think I gave that one away to a friend who collects Coke stuff. Most of the ones I have are still in their original paper sleeves, and come to think of it, I have some that are NOS blanks. Don't know why I picked those up, but sometimes the addiction is very strong!!

[Thatch_Ear]

I remember seeing some of those that were actually transcriptions of my Uncle James in what was basically a vocal letter to my grandparents. Maybe he was able to get them a machine to play them on and sent those back from Italy as voice mail. I just remember seeing the huge records and being told they were recordings of James talking to his parents when he was in the army and stationed in Italy. I could have been misinformed.