[78-L] records for the blind

[Michael Biel]

From: "Robert M. Bratcher Jr." <rbratcherjr at yahoo.com>
> All the record players here in the USA had fairly high pressure pickups.
> Why they were not lightweight like a hifi pickup is I don't know. Perhaps
> it was to make sure that records could still be played after they got
> scratched up by users but also there was record wear caused by the
> heavy tracking pickups too.

I have a number of Library of Congress players, from the pre-war spring
wind player with a high output electrical pickup that would drive
headphones, a 50s tube-type with a cloth-covered wooden case, a 70s
transisterized with a plastic case and some others.  Except for the one
from the 1930s I have never felt they tracked any heavier than any other
cheap manual portable with crystal or ceramic cartridges.  They probably
tracked 5 grams.  The one from the 30s was probably one ounce.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com