> ------------------------------
> 3. If 33.3rpm Vitaphones were a Victor concern (right? weren't they?),
> and
> Edison invented the microgroove (as well as the micromicrogroove with his
> almost unplayable 80rpm LP's), and Victor combined a type of microgroove
> with their PT LP's, then exactly what did Columbia get credited for
> "inventing" in 1948?
>
>
> Again, many thanks to you all,
> Robert
>
Since Edison did invent the first true microgroove record and a special
elliptical stylus for playback, even though they were years ahead of their
time in practicality, Columbia can be given credit for marketing the first
'practical' and successful L.P. record. This is in no small part due to the
lightweight pickups developed by G.E. and Pickering in '47-'48, such as the
G.E. VR. Also, vinylite was an added bonus as a quiet surface with little
noise. Without these benefits it too would have been a commercial failure.
That Edison was able to process a groove that small and an elliptical stylus
in that time is amazing to me. One wonders how much of that work was
borrowed by Columbia. You have to remember that even Columbia's L.P. did not
have as small a groove as the Edison L.P.. It's easy to see just how
significant those light weight pickups were to microgroove records in
general. Edison was just way ahead of his time.
Bruce
