[78-L] Record Clamps Usefulness

[Royal Pemberton]

True, those few early machines have the clamp....funny thing, they have a
conventional thread, so any slippage would cause the clamp to back out and
loosen, unlike the reverse thread on a Neumann lathe where the same slippage
would cause it to tighten.

On Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 12:08 PM, Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com> wrote:

> neechevoneeznayou at gmail.com wrote:
> > I've wondered that the weight of a record clamp
> > might put undue stress on the bearings of a turntable, such as a direct
> > drive, shortening the life span...no evidence to support
> >
> > joe salerno
> >
> >
>
> Some record clamps are lightweight.  What you are thinking of are the
> weights which can be a pound or more.
>
> > Royal Pemberton wrote:
> >
> >> I wouldn't advise it, with the risk of cracking or breaking them.
> >>
> >>
>
> This was my thought because you would be pushing the record down into
> what might be a soft rubber mat.  If there is warpage, especially if the
> record is dished upwards in the center, you could cause cracks in the
> label area.  However, you should remember that Berliner and early Victor
> machines used a center screwdown clamp.
>
> The reason for the clamps and the weights in the modern Vinylphools
> world is to "couple" the record to  the turntable and usually to a
> slightly tacky rubber mat to absorb any vibrations the stylus causes in
> the record.  This was a fad in the early 80s.  It started a year or two
> after the fad of requiring 24 hours rest to the vinyl record before
> playing it again because of the softening of the vinyl after heated by
> the friction of the stylus.  The rest problem was totally forgotten when
> I was given repeated demonstrations of seven companies' different
> theories of turntable mats at an AES convention where they would play a
> record on one mat and then immediately afterwards play it on theirs --
> we were supposed to hear a tighter bass and firmer soundstage.  I think
> these guys were all sexually frustrated.
>
> Shellac 78s are dense enough to usually be troubled by these internal
> vibrations.  However, it is part of the theory of the thickness of the
> Edison Diamond Disc.  The downward thrust of the stylus is met by the
> heavy dense record pushing upwards.  Supposedly it is twice as thick as
> a cylinder because it is two sided.  Cylinder collectors know that there
> is a hollowness whereever the plaster is missing in a Blue Amberol..
> However I wonder why this was not a problem with Lambert cylinders which
> had no core.  They usually sound great.  I've always preferred the
> tar-like core of the Everlastings compared with the paper core of
> Indestructibles.
>
> Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com
> >>
> >>> --
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: <beststuff4u at frontiernet.net>
> >>> To: <78-L at 78online.com>
> >>> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 5:46 PM
> >>> Subject: [78-L] Record Clamps Usefulness
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> Does anyone use record clamps on their 78s? What are the benefits? Any
> >>>> risks to the records?
> >>>>
> >>>> Thank you.
>
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