Playing Acoustic-Era Records on Period Machines

[OrthoSean]

I tend to agree with George here. I keep an arsenal of perfectly great records separate for acoustic playing, several thousand of them. I have what I consider to be a pretty comprehensive collection of near mint "archive copies" of things I'd never play on anything but modern equipment, the kind of stuff you just don't find at all these days. I've only ever played one of my 7 inch early discs once on my Victor R, which another member here now owns, and it was already wrecked. The others never have and never will be by me. That said, I've sent several of my early 7 inch discs off to another member here who has successfully made resin copies of such and those can and do get played with steel. They hold up fantastically well so far and I'm sure he'll be offering them for sale here at some point. Why run the risk of wearing something unnecessarily if we have the ability not to? I play many of my machines daily and I keep everything in proper order as anyone would expect, but certain records of mine are just off-limits for acoustic play, whether they cost me 10 cents or $1200.

Sean

[phonogfp]

I tend to agree with George here.

I wondered if there was another weirdo on this forum!

George P.

[HisMastersVoice]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the conservative preservation approach. Everyone has their own motives for collecting which is what makes it interesting to talk to other collectors! I also don't have anything against playing records on modern equipment, I do so myself on occasion. I don't own any "only known copy" records, those are best left to the hardcore preservationists. My copy of "You're the Cream in My Coffee" gets played on my Opera once a week, however.

[OrthoSean]

Well, hey....now that I've got a couple of Medved rebuilt DD reproducers with new styli, I've finally not been afraid to play my dealer stock electric DDs, like "Kansas City Kitty" and "West End Blues". I wouldn't have ever dared before!

Sean

[Uncle Vanya]

I tend to use period machines to the exclusion of all else. I make certain that the machines are in perfect order, with good needle point compliance, I avoid using machines with poor alignment, and also avoid using early electric machines with heavy pickups and poor compliance, but if a record is too fragile to safely play on a machine of its own period I pass it on. For electric reproduction I add the counterbalanced inertia arm and the extended range RCA pickup to the machine I generally use, or I play back on ERPI (Western Electric) equipment. My records seem to be holding up well, but then I have a large collection and try to keep multiple copies of favorites; ideally a dealer stock " reference copy" which is never played, a playing copy, and then lesser "Victrola copies" V+ pressings which may be played on even a small acoustic machine.

[bart1927]

I mostly play my 78's on modern equipment. I have a Technics SL 1200 GR and several different styli. I'm more a record collector than a phonograph collector, perhaps that has something to do with it. My period machines are an HMV 101, a 102 and a 163.

I've been told numerous times that steel needles don't wear the record, but that it's the other way around, as long as you use a fresh needle for every side of the record. Nevertheless I have noticed in the past that even one single play of a record with a steel needle can cause audible wear. At least with records that are recorded at a high volume. I have some records (from the 1920's) that are extremely loud. For instance Nat Shilkret's "When Sweet Susie Goes Steppin' By" (coupled with "Dusky Stevedore"). The same goes for records with loud "bursts" of sound, for instance the honking sounds on Ted Weems' "My Cutey's Due at Two-to-Two". I assume that also explains why I still haven't been able to find an E or better copy of Victor 20120: they all have the same stressed grooves in all the same places, and only on the A side.

Playing 78's on vintage equipment certainly has a lot of period charm, but to my ears they just sound better on modern equipment with it's broader frequency range. My HMV 163 sounds pretty good, but it's still no match for the Technics. So as a rule I only play V++ or extremely common records on my period machines.

But I must admit I'm a bit anal when it comes to my records. I clean all my records thoroughly after purchase, even the ones that already look clean (I use the Disc Doctor's cleaning kit). After that I put them in a new Disc-O-File sleeve (from Nauck), and I only touch them using gloves, to avoid getting finger prints on them. Because then I would have to clean them all over again.

[VintageTechnologies]

I generally try to conserve my 78s that are rare, valuable or nice condition by playing them on modern equipment. If they have survived this long, I do not wish to degrade them further. I have no problem playing common or worn records on original equipment. There are very few Edisons that I wouldn't play, such as my Shackleton cylinder or a few brown wax.

[Starkton]

I use period machines with tonearm (Deutsche Grammophon AG from between 1903 and 1908) for shellac discs from the acoustic period, but only after:

1. Each steel needle is examined under the microscope;
2. Tracking error and geometric alignment of the Exhibition soundbox is optimized;
3. Tracking weight is reduced (required weight varies from disc to disc).

I came to the following simple set up and use it since then. Only one gooseneck, a spare part, had to be modified as I exchange the "reproducing unit" between my machines:

[Uncle Vanya]

I use period machines with tonearm (Deutsche Grammophon AG from between 1903 and 1908) for shellac discs from the acoustic period, but only after:

1. Each steel needle is examined under the microscope;
2. Tracking error and geometric alignment of the Exhibition soundbox is optimized;
3. Tracking weight is reduced (required weight varies from disc to disc).

I came to the following simple set up and use it since then. Only one gooseneck, a spare part, had to be modified as I exchange the "reproducing unit" between my machines:

May I inquire about the machine which you show in this post? Is it an early Hannover built Gramophone Company cabinet model with a flat lid, slender legs ending in pad feet,and a record storage shelf? A good friend of mine has a machine which fits this description which has had it's mechanism removed. He it trying to restore it, but does not know how the motor board when some details of the cabinet were made.

[Starkton]

Is it an early Hannover built Gramophone Company cabinet model with a flat lid, slender legs ending in pad feet,and a record storage shelf?

No, I took the photos from a different cabinet model which has no feet.