[78-L] Old Geezers

[Ron L'Herault]

Records contained abrasives that were there to wear steel needles into the
best shape to follow the groove on that record.  That is why one should
change the needle after each play.  Whether you use loud tone, medium or
soft tone on an acoustical record is more a matter of personal taste.  If
you are playing an electrically recorded record on an acoustical
(non-Orthophonic/Vivatonal/Panatrope), a practice you should avoid, at least
use a soft tone needle to minimize wear to the grooves.   Your playback
machine should have a rebuilt reproducer with the right gaskets so that
compliance will be at its best.  The arm should move freely both laterally
and up and down.  A friend of mine is adamant that one should only use
medium tone needles to play back Orthophonic era records.   

I believe that as pick-ups became lighter and needles became
"semi-permanent" the abrasive content was lowered so later records would
best be played with lighter pick-ups such as the early crystals or the GE
RPX and VR.   Since even a very light cartridge will produce some wear,
extremely rare/valuable and/or well loved/often played records will last
longer when played with a modern pick up and the proper sized stylus.   The
grit in an old record will affect a modern stylus, but more so the sapphires
than the diamonds.

Ron L  (a phonograph collector who amasses records.)



-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Matthew Balcerak
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 10:48 PM
To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
Subject: Re: [78-L] Old Geezers

I'm 25, and definitely a lurker.  I am full of "stupid questions" but I
usually try to get them answered elsewhere before I bother this esteemed
body.

On that note, I have one for you all.  I have not discovered a definitive
answer about steel needles.  I have a variety of different gramophone, and
of course a modern turntable.  I've read: acoustic recordings sound better
with medium tone needles, electric recordings with soft tone, and if you
want you can mix and match for loudness however you want.  Using that as a
rule of thumb has been great for all my early records.  However, when do I
have to stop using steel needles and only use an electric pickup?  Thus far,
if the record hasn't been orthophonic (or one of their breed) or before,
I've kept it off a gramophone.  Everything afterword, I've used a modern
turntable.  I know they produced gramophones well into the forties, and in
some countries into the sixties.  Does this mean I can throw my later
Chinese records onto a gramophone and be OK?

Also, is it different for different labels?  Do bluebirds handle better on
gramophones than okehs?  I have read that records have a grinding agent in
the opening grooves to make the steel needles ideal for the individual
record.  When did they stop doing this?  Will this grinding agent effect a
modern turntable stylus?

Essentially, with at least fifty years of play time ahead of me, I don't
want to leave my grand kids with a bunch of old coasters.
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