78’s78’s78’s were invented by Emile Berliner during the mid 1880’s. In 1891, he began using shellac to make the record. This format dominated the industry until the late 1940’s when the vinyl 33’s were introduced. 78’s measure 10-inches in diameter and are heavier and thicker than 33’s. They extremely fragile and should be handled with care. Never use alcohol-based cleaners to clean 78’s.