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Spiders from Kenya

ARC has written extensively on the one time common 45 adaptors, and just recently, in a self described 70-89s text, “Retrohell,”  the claim is made that these were called “45 Spiders”.  Makes sense, given the shape.  But I never heard the term.  According to  wikirumor the Spider history is: “The former RCA Corporation introduced a snap-in plastic insert known as a spider to make 45 rpm records compatible with the smaller spindle size of a 33⅓ rpm LP record player. Commissioned by RCA president David Sarnoff and invented by Thomas Hutchison, spiders were prevalent in the 1960s and sold tens of millions per year.”

45 Spiders is also the name of a neo-punk band and the above bit of frippery from Atomic Rose.

This just in from our travelin’ pals visiting Melodica Record Store, Nairobi, Kenya.  Looks like downtown anywhere (go to film).  Well anywhere where cassettes are still king.  This still at the end is the gold, finger pointing to the surround sound for some lucky spiders.  It’s a trip I could have been on, but passed.  I’m stupid.


4 comments

  1. Mr Strutt

    On our tour around, not many people in the UK or Europe call them Spiders either – most common term used in the last 30+ years is ’45 middles’ or ‘7″ adapters’. In a few parts of the USA, some call them ‘Pucks’ and in Oz, some people call them ‘dinks’ – what ever that means!

    In fact, why did some people label it a ‘spider’ anyway.. when the design technically only has 3 legs!?

    ’45 Central’ turntable adapter brand has cleared things up with names for 45 adapters…

    45 Bullet
    45 Dome
    45 Diamond
    45 Rocket
    45 Classic
    45 Tornado
    45 Volcano
    45 Vortex
    45 Ufo
    +
    45 Bermuda…

    All designs in the range seem to match they’re definitions…

    http://www.45central.co.uk/products