FYI I Googled "Bamboo Phonograph needles" and got a few hits. One site even gives step by step instructions for making your own Bamboo/fiber needles.
I'm not recommending any of these, but thought that it might be helpful. Tom -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mike Stitt Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2013 9:27 PM To: Antique Phonograph List Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Newbie Question - How To Tell an Acoustical Record Don't forget you must "train" your records when using bamboo. Mike\Oldcranky On Thu, Jan 3, 2013 at 6:35 PM, Bob Maffit <[email protected]> wrote: > Steve: > > Other than finding the Bamboo needles in phonographs I have obtained, > I haven't found a source for them. > > Do you know of any? > > later > > Bob > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] > On > Behalf Of Steven Medved > Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2013 7:12 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Newbie Question - How To Tell an Acoustical > Record > > > > > > > > > If you want to preserve a record you need to use a quality needle and > change it after each play. The Chamberlain needles on eBay are fully > polished, but the diameter is too large and they contact the shoulders > at the beginning of each play. > > > > You see many victrolas with records that look new, at least you used to. > When the reproducer was new with soft gaskets the reproducer was > compliant and they changed needles each time. 70 years later with > hard gaskets and the same needle the records wear. > > > > I believe that as long as the record is shellac a steel needle is OK > unless the record is rare or an early one then you would want to use > bamboo. The vinyl 78's and the flexible Marconi records I would not > use a steel needle with. > > > > I suggest medium tone needles, you get less distortion. > > > > The shellac records were made with an abrasive so they will accomodate > steel needles, I learned the hard way vinyl is badly affected by steel > needles. > I do not think electrically recorded records are adversly affected by > a steel needle, I have never noted any problems. The run in groove > appeared around 1930 to 1933 from what I have been told. I welcome > comments. Steve > > > > > Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 23:06:36 -0500 > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: [Phono-L] Newbie Question - How To Tell an Acoustical > > Record > > > > Hi all, > > > > I've just gotten my first keeper wind-up phonograph, a Victor VV > > 8-35 (which a list member is refurbishing the mechanics of, I can > > hardly wait!), and I have a really elementary question: How do I > > tell which records can be safely played with a steel needle? > > > > I suspect all Victor batwings are OK. But is there a general rule of > > thumb besides date (would that be pretty much 1930s and before?) As > > late as when? Is absence of a spiral run-in groove a reliable indicator? > > Does "electrically recorded" mean too late? > > > > I belong to an antique radio club and at the last meeting one member > > sold another a table model along with half a dozen albums of > > 1940s-1950s 78s. I told them both that the steel needle in the heavy > > acoustic reproducer will ruin those records, and with the right > > records you also need to replace the needle for every play. But they > > went ahead demonstrating the machine and turning the grooves white. > > Oh > well. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Chris Kocsis > > _______________________________________________ > > Phono-L mailing list > > http://phono-l.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.org > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.org > _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
