[78-L] "New media" for Victrolas?...

[Michael Biel]

You don't need a newly manufactured record, but records in very good
condition.  As David Lennick indicated, they would probably be be
pressed in vinyl which would be utterly destroyed with the first
playing.  If you just want some old records to play on the machine, they
shouldn't be really hard to find.  I'm going to the Mechanical Music
show in Wayne NJ this Sunday and there will be plenty of them there, and
certainly some of the West Coasters here could guide you to places you
might find some.  But remember, you MUST use a new needle EVERY TIME, or
else your records will wear out very fast.  Most of us do not play our
records on old players unless the records are common, duplicates, or
otherwise relatively disposable.  Playing records on old players is
playing the machine, not playing the record.  You do it to hear the
machine.  If you want to hear the recording, you play it on modern
equipment.  

NEVER use old needles you found in the machine because they were all
probably used -- unless they came in a needle tin that seems to have all
unused needles.  There are dealers who sell new needles.  If you slowly
twirl the needle in your fingers and see light glinting off the point as
you turn it, that is light reflecting off of the flattened edges of the
worn needle, and these flat edges will tear the records up.  Also,
unless you are using a late-20s Orthophonic or some other machine
designed for playing electrical records, you should only play acoustical
records on an acoustical machine.  Electrical records will usually be
too loud, too bassy, and too shrill, and will wear out faster and
sometimes start your reproducer buzzing.  You certainly don't want to
play anything from the 40s or 50s.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com   



David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>wrote:
> They'd have to be pressed on shellac or something equally
> hard ..ever see what happens to a vinyl disc when you lower
> a soundbox with a steel needle into it?   dl

> Bruce England wrote:
> > Hello:
> > I just checked out your 78rpmrecord.com web site, and it's
> > very good; interesting and useful!
> > What I'm trying to figure out at the moment is if *anybody*
> > is pressing new 78's playable on acoustic Victrolas. All of
> > the records I have at this point are pretty well worn, and
> > it would be way cool to be able to hear fresh grooves for
> > a change. Do you have any idea(s)?  Thanks and bye for now!
> > Bruce England    Mountain View, CA