--- Robert Wright wrote: > ...I have a favorite Victrola...The soundbox is an Exhibition No. 2.....No matter what needle I use, no matter what shape the record is > in, there is black shellac dust built up on the > needle after every play, without fail...
Robert, I think you should try another soundbox, or maybe rebuild your No.2 and adjust it. I have reproducers that just "kill" records just like yours does. Other reproducers I have are very "kind" to records. Believe it or not, the soundbox that I play most of my everyday 78's on is on a CRAPOPHONE and with a Crapophone soundbox! No black shellac dust build-up. BTW....Merle is not a he, but is a she, and she is the QUEEN OF LITTLE WONDER RECORDS, and knows more about LW's than anyone else in the world. <g> Best regards, Dennis > So I have two categories of discs -- one, those that > are nifty and > interesting, but not particularly valuable to anyone > but me, the kind that I > enjoy listening to though millions of copies were > pressed and the records > are virtually worthless -- and two, records that > would never see a > phonograph/soundbox/headless nail in a billion > years, because they CANNOT be > played back on that equipment without irreparable > damage. > > I don't particularly feel this way about Diamond > Disc or cylinder > phonographs, however, as I've never seen an Edison > needle hurt an Edison > record. The diamonds are ground to exact specs and > the records (wax > notwithstanding) are built like Mack trucks. I'm > not saying there's no > damage whatsoever, obviously, but it seems > negligible from my experience. > I've never collected black dust from an Edison > stylus. > > It sounds like Merle isn't interested in permanently > damaging his Little > Wonders, and that being the case, I don't suggest > that he play them back > with a wind-up phono. I think that's insane if he > likes his records. That > said, Merle, I think most 78 styli offered by > cartridge manufacturers are > 2.7mil and will work great with LW's. I've used the > Grado, the Stanton you > have, and the NS78 that works with the Shure > V15VxMR, which is what I use > now. All these styli have suggested weights of 3 to > 5 grams, 2 to 10 times > the amount of weight an LP stylus would need, so I > think your 2.7mil Stanton > will give you perfectly lovely results with a little > extra tracking force. > > My 78rpm deck is an 80's Technics SL1200Mk2 that > Kevin Barrett > (www.kabusa.com) modified for me to play at 78rpm. > He also installed one of > his damping fluid troughs, which places a paddle > that's attached to the > tonearm into this curved trough of thick fluid that > limits the amount of > movement available to the tonearm, stopping it from > bouncing on warped 78s. > It also vastly improves the midrange, stereo image > stability, and tautness > of bass with LP playback. It's an awesome mod. > Kevin's products are > top-notch. I'm excited to get one of his preamps > with noise reduction and > correct EQ soon. > > Can we hear from everyone on this 'soundbox/steel > needle = irreparable > damage' issue? I would love to be out-voted and/or > proven wrong. > > > Best to all, > Robert > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "bob" <[email protected]> > To: "Antique Phonograph List" <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 10:43 AM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Styli assistance, please > > > > Hi, > > Unless your Little Wonder records are near > mint condition I think this > > is an exercise in futility. Most of these small > records are not in the > best > > shape because they were used a lot by children and > stylus used won't > matter > > too much. I think you Stanton cartridge may not > have enough tracking > force > > to play these very well. I would use a Victor > exhibition reproducer with > > good gaskets and steel needles. Just change the > needles frequently. > > RMV > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Merle Sprinzen" <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 10:34 AM > > Subject: [Phono-L] Styli assistance, please > > > > > > > I'm trying to sort out my system for playing > 78s, and have a question > > > about styli. To get good playback from Little > Wonders, an article I > read > > > suggested a styli radii of .0028 (that's what it > said worked best for > > > Columbias, and so I thought that would apply to > Little Wonders, too). I > > > have a Stanton 500 AL II cartridge that came > with both a 78 and diamond > > > stylus, but I can't find the radii figures > anywhere. Does anyone know > > > (1) whether the .0028 recommendation is the best > for LWs, and (2) what > > > the radii is for my Stanton 78 stylus? Thanks > so much! > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Phono-L mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > > > > Phono-L Archive > > > http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/ > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Phono-L mailing list > > [email protected] > > > > Phono-L Archive > > http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/ > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > [email protected] > > Phono-L Archive > http://www.oldcrank.org/pipermail/phono-l/ > __________________________________ Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday! Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/
