They're like that so cheap record companies could make lateral records (same type as victor used) to bypass patents. The other option was to vertically record the record and that required a whole lot of equipment
The reality is, Columbia made cheap phonographs to distribute to businesses who would give them away as premiums; but with the larger spindles they could only play records made to fit them -- and that's where the money was made! There were three major brands doing this: Standard, Harmony & United -- all with different sized spindle holes. So, the owner of a United machine could use only United records, which were sold at full price. Judging by the number of this type of record that continue to turn up, the scheme was a success for about a decade!
Great record! I don't get why that record is dinked like a 45 record though... It's it because of the spindle rot?
They're like that so cheap record companies could make lateral records (same type as victor used) to bypass patents. The other option was to vertically record the record and that required a whole lot of equipment
@@alco1252 Oh I didn't know that, thanks for telling me that though.
The reality is, Columbia made cheap phonographs to distribute to businesses who would give them away as premiums; but with the larger spindles they could only play records made to fit them -- and that's where the money was made! There were three major brands doing this: Standard, Harmony & United -- all with different sized spindle holes. So, the owner of a United machine could use only United records, which were sold at full price. Judging by the number of this type of record that continue to turn up, the scheme was a success for about a decade!