16) Everything Else


This is more of a fun page than anything else. This is where I’ll post all the miscellaneous items and collectables that I’ve purchased over the years that are adapter, record, turntable or at least music related.

 


I never even really knew that something like this existed until I happened to stumble across it on eBay.  This is a Dunwel Record Repair tool.  When I first got this, I wasn’t actually sure what this was actually intended to fix.  As it turns out, this repairs the small center record hole on LP’s.  It’s pretty straight forward.  The repair tool enlarges the center hole so that the new metal centers can be snapped in.  To be completely honest, I started collecting records when I was young and still collect them to this day.  I can never recall a single time that the center hole of my LP went bad.  I guess there must have been some demand for something like this, but I can’t think of a scenario where just the center hole would be damaged.  Anyway, if it does ever happen, I’ve now got a tool to fix that!

 


Whoever invented this was a genius!  There was never a way to easily put records on “repeat” when using your turntable.  We’ve clearly gotten spoiled these days since it’s nothing more than a Repeat button now.  But, back in the days when we had to walk to school thought a foot of snow in our sneakers, it wasn’t all that easy….until these!  What these repeaters did was to actually fake out the record player’s spindle into thinking that there was another record set up and ready to play.  When the record finished playing, instead of dropping down another record, one of these would drop down instead.  So, instead of a new record being played, it would simply replay the one that was already there.  The more repeaters stacked on the spindle, the more times the record would repeat.  Genius!

 


I honestly have no idea exactly what this is, but based on the branding and the size, I can throw out an educated guess. This is a soft cardboard disc which is roughly the size of an LP record label. The center which is the size of a 45 hole is made of a clear plastic. I’m guessing based on the name of Nontutch that this was some rare protector that was placed between multiple records. Based on the softness of the cardboard, it could have helped in preventing slippage as well as to protect the labels or even the records as they dropped down on top of each other. I’m thinking that if you wanted to use these on 45’s, you could remove the center clear plastic piece. All this is a guess though. I’ve tried to research these, but have not been able to come up with anything. After learning about the Record Repeaters that I discussed above, I guess it is possible that this is the same thing.  Even if that’s not what it’s intended to do, it would actually work.  If anyone is familiar with these, please let me know.

nontutch row 1

 


This is a promotional item that came from Coop Tapes and Records. Coop was an indie record store chain with locations in Illinois and Iowa. In case you haven’t figured it out, this is a 2″ x 1/4″ shaped disc that has two grooves on the back side. This was a handy little tool that you slid along the edge of a sealed LP record to cut the shrink wrap for easy opening. From what I can research, I’m thinking that this is from the 70’s or early 80’s.

coop row 1

 


There are many manufacturers of vinyl record cleaners. This one is called the Record Friend. I never used one of these, but they all seem to do the same thing. The record spins in the liquid that was placed in the tank. I’m guessing there are brushes or something that allows it to clean. I’ve always taken extreme care when handling my records, so I never really had to use anything more than a record brush to clean my records. I can see though, that if your record is in bad shape, that something like this may be quite useful.

 


While we’re on the topic of record cleaning, I thought this would be a good time to show this. Sometimes record cleaning can get a bit messy. I’ve discovered that even when just using liquid and a brush. The one part of the record you don’t want to get wet is obviously the label. This tool takes care of that potential problem. The two sides unscrew to make two ends. You then place one end on each side of the record and screw them back together. There is a seal that keeps the water from working its way onto the label. This is just one of those items that I never really knew existed until I happened to come across it. I have to admit though that I only put this on the interesting level of 2.

 


This isn’t any groundbreaking find, but I did find it a little interesting and unique…so here’s where it landed. This looks like a small book with a hole in the center. It’s actually packaging that was for a Fidelitone needle. This is a very heavy duty cardboard that probably did a great job to protect the needle it held. What makes this packaging a little unique is that the left edge of the packaging also doubles as a record brush. So not only does it protect the needle, it helps protect your records as well. Nice concept.

fidel row 1

 


This is a good example of a vintage record cleaning cloth. This cloth was apparently “impregnated” with some unidentified chemical that supposedly treated the vinyl, removed static as well as the typical dirt, dust and grime. I’m not sure of the year that this came out.

hi fi cloth row 1

 


Just because I can….here are a few more examples.

 


As long as we’re on the topic of unidentified chemicals, I’ll bring this one up. This is some compound that was apparently applied with a soft cloth. Besides preserving and protecting the record, it also claims to reduce friction and surface noise. This is the only brand of something like this that I’ve seen. I haven’t opened it because I’m sure that whatever was inside, is fully dried out by now.

duotone preserver row 1

 


These are some fun wine glass charms that I found during one of my probably too many trips to Vegas. They’re very rubbery and have always generated great conversation.

GLASS CHARMS

 


Ok, you’re probably starting to see a trend here….yet another adapter themed item. This time is a rubber coaster of a 45 record, and yes it’s complete with a Recoton adapter. This was another Vegas find.

coaster row 1

 


I’ve always been fascinated by the early record recorders. Nothing all that unusual here, but these are the cutting needles for the record players that would cut records. I guess I grew up recording on tape and purchasing pre-recorded records, so the idea of recording on a record was always interesting to me.

cutting needles row 1

 


Ok, so here’s the one item that I really can’t tell you if it truly worked or not. This is the DiscKit from Discwasher, Inc. It contained a complete record cleaning kit which included fluid for cleaning the records, the pad cleaner to clean them with, the stylus cleaner and of course, the mystical Zerostat gun. So lets get to the science behind the Zerostat. It’s my understanding that when you squeeze the trigger it emits positive ions and then when you release it it emits negative ions. Bottom line, it supposedly improved the sound quality of records by removing static. I don’t recall ever really noticing a significant difference, but I guess it was all part of the vinyl experience!

zero row 1

 


There were a lot of options when coming to cleaning your vinyl. Short of a full blown vinyl cleaner, I personally preferred the Discwasher that I described above. This is another example of cleaners that have been available.

mr audio

 


Here’s something that I found quite interesting and had never seen prior to stumbling across these. These are called Grip-Sette Tractions Mats. They are basically a sticker on one side and a felt-like material on the other. You would actually stick these to your records. They served two purposes. Firstly they created traction and “grip” when records were stacked so that the records would not slip. They also claim that this cushion even helped if your records were warped…something I’ve never tested. Secondly, they also cushioned the fall as records would be dropped down on to each other. These were made by the Thompson Traction Mat Company out of New York, although I’m not sure of the date of manufacture.

grip-sette row 1

 


In the Vinyl Break Outs section I discuss a tool a called the Dinker. The tool is used to take an un-dinked record (a 45 with only a small hole the size of an LP hole) and cut the center out so that the hole is the size of a standard 45 die cut record (1 1/2 inches). This was usually necessary when a record was going to be used in a jukebox, which normally required the larger hole. The Dinker tool is shown below. There are other variations that also work, but this tool seemed to do the best job for me since it did the best at preserving the center…which is the part that I was actually interested in.

Dinker row 1

 


I recall trying to use these on my turntable at various times but never really had much luck with them. These would clip onto the arm of the turntable. I normally placed them quite close to the needle. I admit they seemed to collect quite a bit of dust the longer the record played, but it seemed more of a hassle than anything. I found it easier to give the record a good cleaning prior to playing it. But, since I put dedicated some time into trying to make these work, I thought I would post it here.

brush row 1

 


This is called a Record Nest. It was a way to store your 45’s. Normally, you would have several of these as they are stackable. A person would place their 45’s on top. The next would server two purposes. First to hold the records on top and also to cover the records below. I’ve seen these in multiple colors including red and black as well.

record nest row 1

 


Pins are a fun way to collect music memorabilia. Plus, they’re rather inexpensive to collect unless you’re going after something really rare or unusual (and much cheaper than trying to outbid everyone for a rare adapter). Here are a few examples of some of the music related pins that I’ve collected.

pins row 1

 


I’ve never been a big comic book collector, but it was fun to find some old comics that referenced vinyl. These comics had a nice record/music theme…so of course they found their way here.

comics row 1
comics row 2
comics row 3

 


Here’s one for all you golfers out there. This is a cool 45 record adapter ball marker from ReadyGOLF.com. The marker is nice in that it has a fairly strong magnetic clip that makes it easy to fasten your marker with no worries of losing it. ReadyGOLF has an array of unique golf gifts, as well as a collection of performance & luxury golf apparel you won’t find anywhere else (plus some one-of-a-kind Caddyshack gifts to help you or your favorite duffer laugh off a round of buzzards or have some fun with the country club decorum). This is a really great site so I hope you check them out.

ballmarker row 1

 


I’m not a toy collector, but I happened to come across these. It’s always great when you see toys that incorporate some “old stuff” into them. This is actually an American Girl doll accessory. It’s a small record storage box with several miniature records in it. It’s pretty cool to see detail like this in toys for young kids. I guess there’s hope for our future! 😉

ag row 1

 


This is a fun vinyl record carrier that measures about 9″x7″. I’m guessing based on the writing on the inside that it’s roughly from the 60’s. It has two retractable black hard plastic handles for carrying and also contains a total of 13 brown paper sleeves for 45 records. This was made by Teen Time, Inc. from Pawtucket, RI.

tote row 1

 


I found this at a craft show. I wish I had the name of this person because I would promote the site for him. He cuts LP labels, places a finish on them and sells them as coasters. What’s really cool about him is that he makes wood holders for them. So basically you can choose from a large selection of record labels and mix and match for your perfect coaster collection. Well done!

45coaster row 1

 


This piece is from the On the Road Again collection by FIGI. It was made during 1991-1996. This adorable piece is a stylized reproduction of a 1946 bubbling jukebox, one of the most recognized styles of a jukebox. There is really some fun detail on this piece. On this covered box, the jukebox has yellow and orange light panels, metallic silver chrome accents, and a round speaker grill. The main body is a deep blue. On the left side are sculpted music notes and a guitar silhouette; on the right are sculpted music notes and a saxophone silhouette. Across the top is metallic silver crown trim. At the back of the jukebox, there is a bar stool with tubular metal legs, a discarded white scarf, a full soda bottle, a 45 RPM record, and a delicious strawberry milk shake. Beside them is an open soda machine with an empty bottle sitting on the ground. The top of the piece lifts off to reveal a stack of records tucked inside.

juke row 1

 


Ok, just when you think that you’ve seen it all, this comes along. Guys, hold on tight to your man cards here. For those of you looking to make their finger nails look all the more appealing, what beter than a turntable nail buff? Not sure the reason for the turntable design, but I’ll give them points for creativity!

nail buff row 1

 


Well this is probably as good a time as any to go ahead and introduce this product as well. This is a pewter necklace. I’ve seen both men and women wearing these although my interest was more just as a collectible.

necklace row 1

 


This is a Victor Victrola Electrola Phonograph VE4-3 X Name Plate Badge with Serial Number 7032. The image of this exact model is shown on the right. According to the Victor Victrola site, this unit was as follows:

“The Consolette was one of the first four Orthophonic Victrola models introduced in late 1925. It was a low-cost, small console-style machine that was quite popular with middle-class Americans. This model remained in production into early 1929, indicating that it remained a strong seller. The Consolette was available only with a mahogany finish, and included an Orthophonic Reproducer, exponential horn, and nickel plated hardware (an antique bronze finish was used at the end of the production run). Early production versions had no grille cloth covering the horn opening and used a simple single spring motor, with a small 10″ turntable. In December 1925, the turntable was enlarged to 12″ and a double spring motor and grille cloth was added. In mid-1926, the auto brake feature was added. In mid-1927, the cabinet design was modernized, with a more squared-off appearance. The original 1925 selling price of the 4-3 was $85.00. The price was later raised to $95.00. An estimated total of 234,323 hand-wound Victrola 4-3’s were produced, making it the most popular of the full size (non-portable) Orthophonic phonographs. The 4-3 was also available with an electric motor option (VE 4-3) for $35.00 extra. The production logs show that a total of 7,428 of these machines were produced, however the serial numbers of surviving examples indicate that at least 8,000 were made.”

This was clearly a plate from an electric model. I never really knew that there was quite a following for something as simple as a name plate. It took me a few bids to find one that was in decent condition, but it’s something that I find interesting…for some odd reason.

Victrola Row 1

 


Here are some fun adapter related night lights from Night Light Designs. You can visit their site at www.nightlightdesigns.com.

nightlights row 1

 


There seems to be a decent amount of people who collect vintage record player needles, or at least the tins that the needles came in. These are examples of such tins. A lot of these that are for sale online are in pretty rough shape, but these are actually in fairly good condition. These came will all the needles inside. I remember as a child removing the large needle and putting new one in. I’m surprised these large needles didn’t just cut right through the record!

needles row 1b

tins row 2

 


My weekend project was to come up with a way to display some of my adapters. Well, this was the final result. Actually looks much better in person than in this photograph, but you get the general idea. This definitely creates a good amount of conversation when people see it for the first time.

black frame row 1

 


This is an item that many of you have probably never seen or even heard of. I believe that this was made in the 50’s by Audiotex Manufacturing Company out of Rockford, IL and Los Angeles, CA. This is a Stylus Weight Gauge. It’s basically a tool to measure the weight of the record player tone arm. You would hook the tone arm with this gauge (while the tone arm was on the outer 1/2 of an LP record) and just lift it up to measure the weight. You would take this reading and then compare it to the weight recommended by the manufacturer of the pick-up cartridge being used. It’s not something that I ever used, but probably would have during my “geek” stage in life. C’mon, we all had one…

Stylus Gauge row  1

 


This is a Stylus Pressure Gauge made by Livingston Electronic Corporation out of Livingston, NJ. They were an early specialist company for tone arms and cartridges. This gauge was probably produced around the launch of the first GE VR cartridges in 1947. This gauge is 4 1/2″ long made from grey and blue plastic. When the blue top is opened, a piece of spring steel receives the cartridge stylus. The weight of the stylus depresses the spring steel, which then can be read as stylus pressure in grams on the graduated scale (0-30 grams). This basically accomplishes the same thing as the gauge shown above, but instead of lifting the tone arm with the one above, you simply rest it on this unit.

Livingston row 1

 


This is another Stylus Pressure Gauge, only this time by Garrard. Garrard is an English company that was famous for producing high-quality gramophone turntables. This gauge had a range of 0-15 grams.

Garrard Gauge row 1
Garrard Gauge row 2

 


Ok, you’re probably had your fill of pressure gauges, but here’s one last one. This one is from Clarkstan. Although I’m not sure of the exact manufacture date, I’m guessing that it’s from the 50’s or 60’s.

clarkstan row 1

 


This is a vintage turntable anti-static mat that appears to be from the 70’s. If you’ve been around vinyl records for long, you quickly learned how static in records cause audible crackling and static noise while at the same time attracting dust to the record. A little science here…..Vinyl records carry with them an intrinsic negative electrical charge. Under low humidity conditions like what you often see in a house, this electrical charge can be accentuated and will tend to attract a considerable amount of dust to the playing surface, as well as discharging itself while playing through the pick-up assembly thus resulting in the cracking sounds that are so often associated with vinyl records. This mat, as well as others that are still available today, neutralize the charge by inducing an opposite positive charge in the active carbon constituents of the mat, thus neutralizing the negative charge and resulting crackling. I’ve read many reviews on these types of mats, and most everyone agrees that they do help at least a bit in reducing the noise.

antistatic row 1b

 


This is a strobe specifically made for an Edison Diamond Disc record. Strobes are used to verify that the turntable is playing at the proper speed. The reason that it’s for the Diamond Discs is because those were manufactured to be played at the unique speed of 80 RPM’s. When placed on the turntable where the platter is spinning at exactly 80 RPM’s, the strobe will appear to be not moving at all, or “motionless” as described on the strobe instructions. Some turntables have strobes built onto the side of the platter that allows the user to continually verify the accuracy of the platter speed, although finding one that would calibrate at 80 RPM’s (and also actually play the Diamond Discs) would difficult if not impossible.

strobe row 1

 


This is the Edison Gold Moulded Records book from 1905 which listed by number all the record cylinders that Thomas Edison released in America. This particular book listed all titles to July 1905, inclusive. The book seems to categorize the songs by specific genre. For example, some of the categories are Banjo Solo’s, Vocal Duets, Cornet Solo’s, etc.

edison book row 1

 


Looks like someone found another use for old and worn out 45’s. This is a 45 (with an adatper) which has been cut, sealed and a backing applied. These were being sold as coasters. They’re a little rough and your glass doesn’t really sit all that flat, but it’s an interesting idea. Thought I would add it here since it’s a bit unique.

cut coaster row 1

 


Going to a party or into scrap booking? Well here an adapter related idea. These are small die cut record adapters. I would think that they would work equally well as confetti or in scrap booking.

confetti row 1

 


Fiesta medals are a long-running tradition of San Antonio’s Fiesta week. They originally stemmed from the town’s military history and celebrate the San Antonio-based music website, record label & concert promoter. These are now collected & traded by the thousands. The medallion measures just under 2″ in diameter, and hangs from a black drape ribbon with pinback.

fiesta row 1

 


I think that every car I had in the 70’s and 80’s had upgraded Jensen speakers mounted in the rear package tray behind the back seats. I spent many hours head first in the trunk of my car cutting holes and mounting the triaxial speakers that were bound to give me the very best of stereo sound possible (with the help of a front mounted equalizer, of course). So what was the best way to finish off the project? By installing a pair of sweet chrome speaker grills, of course! I think this pair are almost identical to what I had. I just HAD to add these to this page!

 


11 Comments

  1. Bob, what a great website! Very thorough, and professionally designed. I want to place a few comments here that will refer to other pages on the site, as those pages did not have comment sections.
    1. I came to the page when I found a Tone-King metal adapter. I had never seen that before. On your metal adapter page, you mention that you don’t know much about Tone-King. Then, while perusing your adapter packaging page, I saw some plastic adapters in a package from Tone-King, which also showed a city: Wyandanch, NY. Might that help you in your research?
    2. Cool seeing the embossed RCA and the laser etched Split-Enz records. I have both of those. I don’t much enjoy the Split-Enz record, and was about to get rid of it, when I looked at the etching again, and decided I had to keep it. Still have it, look at it once in a while, but don’t play it. I understand that at least some of the members of Split-Enz went on to be in Crowded House.
    3. 4-track vs. 8 track. In my first car, a 1964 Rambler American, I had a 4-track player. I’ve also worked in radio for years, and used the “carts” many, many times. Due to the wider bands on a 4-track, you got much better sound quality than 8-track. My understanding is that 8-track replaced 4-track for a few reasons: (a) convenience of selecting among 4 songs, rather than 2 songs, (b) inclusion of the roller in the cart led to fewer times when the unit jammed, but mostly (c) the Muntz factory that made 4-tracks burned down.
    I hope some of this info helps you. Again, a very impressive website!
    Fred

    • Hi Fred. I’m so sorry I never saw this message. A bunch of them went to strange places and I’m just finding them now. Thanks for the great message! I’ll do some research on the Tone-King. Also, I LOVED Crowded House. It was a great band for the time. Still enjoy listening to them now and then. I was an 8-Track fan, even though my player ate a good number of them. I’ve never heard a 4-Track directly, but I think you’re right. I can’t believe that it wouldn’t sound better.

      Hey, again I’m very sorry for the late response. Keep in touch! Bob

  2. Hi, I am looking for the cardboard adapter that you have. It is necessary to play The New Testament 16 1/3 small records with a approx. 3″ hole that I just purchased. You describe having one. I don’t even have a record player yet & I just noticed it is missing one of the records, but was still wondering if you could part with it….?

    • Hi. I only have one of those so I can’t get rid of it. Since it’s been so long since you wrote, I hope you found something by now. Sorry for the late reply. All my messages went to a random folder and I never saw them until now. Thanks! Bob

    • Hi Guido. Thanks for destroying my dreams of a rare find! 😉 I appreciate you letting me know. I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying to find something that was similar, but had no luck. The feedback helped a lot. I’m glad you’re enjoying the site!

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