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From: peg@ihuxa.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.records
Subject: Why 45s are 45s...
Message-ID: <250@ihuxa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 12-Jul-83 13:48:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxa.250
Posted: Tue Jul 12 13:48:27 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Jul-83 19:57:51 EDT
Organization: BTL Naperville, Il.
Lines: 25

In answer to Larry's question, as to why 45s are 45s, basically
it was due to competition.  Back when the phonograph came out,
Thomas Edison sold discs to go with his phonograph.  I've forgotten
most of the details, but due to copyright disputes RCA decided
that they wanted to market phonographs too... to increase the
competition between the two manufacturers, RCA created a record
which had a wider spindle hole, and these records could subsequently
only be played on RCA phonographs.  It is similar to the differences
between Atari and Intellivision cartridges.  After awhile, other
phonograph companies began to produce records, but wanted them to
fit both kinds of phonographs... and due to the demands of the public,
phonographs are now made to fit both kinds.  I suppose the reasoning
for not switching to one size hole (although many 45s are now the
size of LPs and vice versa) is due to tradition and the supposed
ease of telling whether a disc was to be played at 33 or 45... although
that is no longer the case as previously mentioned.

This short history lesson comes right out of my memory, so i would
welcome corrections or additions, as i may have forgotten the details
as they really are.  In summary, 45s came about because RCA wanted to
be different from the Edison company.

As for 16 RPM, i think records for blind people (recorded books and such)
are recorded for 16 or even 8 RPM... i'm not sure of the reason for this
however...