[78-L] Stylus size question for Gennett

[Doug Pomeroy]

> From: "Glenn Longwell" <glongwell at snet.net>
> To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 5:24:58 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada  
> Eastern
> Subject: [78-L] Stylus size question for Gennett
>
> I currently have only one sized stylus for lateral 78s, 3.0 mils. I  
> have a slightly smaller size, 2.7 mil, on another headshell set up  
> for vertical discs.
>
> For the most part this 3 mil stylus works fine for my daily needs.  
> However, I recently acquired Gennett 6006, "Big Boy" George Owens.  
> While the disc is a bit worn I've had discs look a lot worse than  
> this and play much better. So I was wondering if it's a groove size/ 
> stylus size mismatch. I changed my 2.7 mil stylus back to play  
> lateral and it sounds markedly better, but now wondering how much  
> better could it get? This is my first Gennett Electrobeam record.  
> Any advice on stylus size which works best for these? It's time I  
> started to expand my range of available stylii anyway.

You might get slightly better results with a 2.2 or 2.0 truncated  
conical tip.  Then again, you might not!

Vintage Jazz Mart published a list of recommendations, as follows:
STYLI SIZE

LABEL TYPES AND/PERIODS

00.18"

Useful for some acoustic Richmond Gennett recordings: Some early  
aluminium and acetate transcription discs.

0.0020"

Extremely useful for the majority of acoustic Richmond Gennetts.  
Strangely, the Wolverine Orchestra’s Fidgety Feet/Jazz Me Blues like  
a whopping 0.0035"! Also a number of acoustic OKeh ‘field’ recordings  
(e.g. the 1923 King Oliver OKehs) like this size.

0.0024/5"

Very useful for acoustic, ‘Truetone’ and some electric OKehs,  
pre-1920 Victors, most post-war records. Many Paramount 12700 series.  
English Columbias 1925-26 mainly prefer this size.

0.0028"

Post 1922 acoustic and electric Columbias, most electric OKehs,  
acoustic and early electric Paramounts, Gennett (acoustic and  
electric New York recordings and electric Richmond recordings),  
Brunswick/ARC (acoustic and electrical), US Decca, Victor 1921-25,  
most Plaza group acoustics, pre-1931 Parlophone, Black Swan, Cameo,  
Pathé/Perfect lateral recordings. A good starting size to work up or  
down from.

0.0032"

Useful for some Brunswick/Vocalion electrics, post-EMI merger English  
Columbia/HMV/Parlophones, Columbia acoustics to 1922, some early US  
Columbia electrics, also some later Columbia electrics where the  
master has been heavily polished or high numbered stampers have been  
used. Autograph, some Paramount 12800s (though these vary enormously  
– up to 0.004"!

0.0035"

Most Victor Electrics post 1926, some very early Victors (1901-06),  
Acoustic Vocalion, HMV/Zonophone 1925-31, most QRS, Plaza group  
electrics, Edison Diamond Discs, most Electrobeam Gennett post-6400  
issues.

0.004"

Early electric Victors (1925/6). One notable anomaly is the October  
1927 Brunswick session by Johnny Dodds’ Black Bottom Stompers, where  
the cutter was particularly blunt and all the sides from the session  
need a 0.004" stylus.



Doug Pomeroy
POMEROY AUDIO
Audio Restoration & Mastering Services
Transfers of metal masters, lacquers,
shellac and vinyl discs & tapes.
193 Baltic St
Brooklyn, NY 11201-6173
(718) 855-2650