chippe01 29th Jul 2016 | ![](//images.45worlds.com/t/78/the-chords-shboom-rhino-78-t.jpg) | 78 RPMThe Chords - Sh-Boom / Since I Met You Baby | George - These were put out around 1988 or so - they were meant for jukeboxes, though I don't know how a jukebox could handle these as they are supposed to be played with a lightweight cartridge and many discs just are not flat. From the box, it says from the original master tapes, so I don't believe they were mastered from Digital. You can hear tape hiss on many of the sides.
Zabadak - if you can find them, yes, they are expensive. Single discs can go for about $20.00 to $40.00 on Ebay. There were 2 box sets issued at the end of the 80's with 25 discs each.
I did find Volume 2, the complete box set on Ebay and paid almost $380.00 for it. Volume 2 was issued in 1989, according to the copyright on the enclosed card. It's again, 25 discs of what is supposed to be 50's music, but there is some 60's stuff in there as well.
My initial comment was on a single disc I purchased from the Volume 1 box, and that disc sounded very good. However, the 2nd set, which I purchased in it's entirety, is a bit of a disappointment.
They are all on colored see thru discs, and a couple are pure black. They are vinyl, and were not pressed very well. Many of the discs are bumpy and some are off centered a bit, not from the spindle hole, but the playing surface itself. On some discs, in addition to making the tone arm jump, it also rocks back and forth. This can't be healthy for the stylus, especially considering the added weight.
To get some of the discs to play, I had to apply excessive weight to the cartridge, above the rated maximums for both my Ortofon 2M Mono 78 cartridge and my Shure 78S cartridge. The Shure cartridge handled the biggest problem discs a little better because I could apply slightly more pressure.
Again, the sound is hit and miss with the discs. Some sound very nice and some sound too harsh.
I could play them with either a regular stereo cartridge/stulys (Audio Technica AT95) or with the specialized "78" cartridge/stylus combos I listed before. I obtained better results with the mono cartridges because on some discs there is a kind of flanging between left and right channels which is very distracting - the worst offender being Good-Bye Cruel World with the constant cymbal throughout the song. I am recording the entire set with the 78 cartridge/stylus.
On most of the tracks you can actually hear the tape hiss, and there is virtually no crackle or ticks and pops, but some discs do suffer from slight ticks and pops, especially at the end of the records.
I will catalog them here once I finish recording them all. I have done 20 sides out of 50 so far, then I need to scan the labels.
I really wish I could get my hands on the 1st Volume, but there's only 1 up for sale on Ebay, and that person wants $1,000 for the unopened set.
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chippe01 23rd Jul 2016 | ![](//images.45worlds.com/t/78/teresa-brewer-skinnie-minnie-fish-tail-coral-78-t.jpg) | 78 RPMTeresa Brewer - Skinnie Minnie (Fish Tail) / I Had Someone Else Before I Had You (And I'll Have Someone After You're Gone) | ReviewSkinnie Minnie (Fish Tail): What an amazing song! A great up-tempo, danceable track which sounds absolutely fabulous. However, there is an apparent lack of bass. Still, it's a very catchy tune beautifully sung by Teresa Brewer. It's a kind of rock-n-roll / Jazz hybrid.
I Had Someone Else: What a LONG title! This is a nice ballad, again, beautifully sung.
As a side note: This record, along with another Teresa Brewer Promo record came as throw away discs to protect another disc I ordered on ebay. They were both sticky and terribly dirty and hardly playable. I scrubbed both discs with a sponge and a little dish soap and water and air dried in front of a fan. The difference was amazing. These discs play perfectly, with no scratches or pops, and very little crackle.
5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
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