Many needles that you find in old phonogrpahs have been used and they will quickly ruin records. I would definitley steer clear of the ones you have, which also look to have a bit of rust, and just get new ones.
I suspect that the thiner soft tone needles might be a bit gentler on records because they have a little bit of flex in them. Sometimes you need loud tone needles for the early acoustic records though to get a decent amount of volume out of them.
Clay
looking for information on Cecilian phonograph
- FloridaClay
- Victor VI
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Re: looking for information on Cecilian phonograph
Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume's Laws of Collecting
1. Space will expand to accommodate an infinite number of possessions, regardless of their size.
2. Shortage of finance, however dire, will never prevent the acquisition of a desired object, however improbable its cost.
1. Space will expand to accommodate an infinite number of possessions, regardless of their size.
2. Shortage of finance, however dire, will never prevent the acquisition of a desired object, however improbable its cost.
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- Victor Jr
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Re: looking for information on Cecilian phonograph
One other question: there's a silver lever hanging down from the tone arm (see picture below). Any idea what it controls? There are stops that it can bump against when the tone arm moves to its extreme positions.
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- Victor Monarch
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Re: looking for information on Cecilian phonograph
That lever is to trigger an automatic stop. The stop mechanism should be under the turntable- it might be pushed aside or broken, or it might have been removed.
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- Victor I
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Re: looking for information on Cecilian phonograph
Regarding the needles you photographed, the top one is a Loud tone needle, the second one a Medium tone needle, and the third one was a type that was readily available through the 1950s and into the early 60s in the US, made by an outfit called Fidelitone (Recoton also marketed them). That last one worked as a Loud tone needle, and was sold as being good for 10 plays [not a good idea]. A Soft tone needle will be thinner, but about the length of the Medium. I think the reason we usually find loud and medium needles is that most people used up their supplies of soft tone ones. New ones are available now, thank goodness.
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- Victor Jr
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- Personal Text: Dan Christensen
Re: looking for information on Cecilian phonograph
Thanks hillndalefan, that's helpful information. My new needles should arrive soon.