[78-L] Damage Control on Acoustic 78s?

[David Lennick]

You'll get answers from professionals on this list and from music lovers (not 
always the same people). First of all, are you planning on playing these 
records on modern equipment or on classic antique phonographs? Lots of 
differences. Modern equipment involves new styli, not the old flipovers from 
the changers of the 50s and 60s, which never properly fitted the grooves of old 
78s anyway. And modern equipment means you're just wasting your time unless you 
also clean the records with professional equipment such as the Monks (and its 
recommended solutions) or the Disc Doctor's solutions and brushes, since modern 
cartridges and styli track at lighter weights. Acoustic records were meant to 
take the heavy soundboxes and steel needles (as long as you changed them and 
kept the phonograph in good working order) and you'll probably have noticed 
that many acoustic records turn up 85+ years later in nice condition.

I transfer 78s professionally and use both Stanton and Shure cartridges and a 
variety of styli, from 2.1 truncated elliptical through 2.5 elliptical and on 
to 2.8 elliptical and larger tips if required. Not long ago I tried everything 
on some mid 30s US Deccas and found nothing would work but a 4 mil stylus.

dl

beststuff4u at frontiernet.net wrote:
> They say ignorance is bliss, so that would make me extremely blissful.
> 
> All these years I played 78s without recognition that there were factors under my control that could either cause or avoid damage to my records. The worst I ever experienced was poor sounding music. Now that I am aware of the possibilities of certain damage factors, I need to understand how to detect them before any damage is done. I'm preparing to make some equipment changes as well as to start listening to my most treasured acoustics that I have not played in many years. Until now I've only been playing electric 78s.
> 
> The factors I am concerned about are:
> 
> 1. Wrong stylus size.
> 2. Wrong stylus shape (i.e. conical, elliptical, truncated elliptical,etc.)
> 3. Improper tracking pressure.
> 4. Mismatch of cartridge to tonearm (tonearm weight and cartridge compliance).
> 
> Rather than learn thru trial and error and ruin my acoustics, I am hoping that the esteemed members of this list can answer some very elementary questions.
> 
> 1. For the four concerns listed above, how do damage potentials present themselves? Visual? Audio? Other? 
> 2. I often read about "mistracking" as a potential to destroy a record in short order. How is mistracking recognized?
> 
> Thank you for any help in getting me out of my blissful (i.e. ignorant) state.
> _______________________________________________