Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories
User avatar
AZ*
Victor IV
Posts: 1143
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:51 pm
Location: USA

Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by AZ* »

Currently on ebay. Item 123261448498. Called "Special Gramophone Needles" and they look similar to the Siren steel needles.

Just curious.
Best regards ... AZ*

soundgen
Victor V
Posts: 2996
Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 2:04 pm
Contact:

Re: Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by soundgen »

How many records does each needle play ? I've asked the vendor without reply

User avatar
OrthoSean
Victor V
Posts: 2912
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Near NY's Capital

Re: Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by OrthoSean »

soundgen wrote:How many records does each needle play ? I've asked the vendor without reply
The listing certainly isn't very clear about that, but I've just replenished my supply of regular steel from you, Mike!

I would be curious to hear about these though.

Sean

User avatar
toydk
Victor O
Posts: 90
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:05 am
Location: Iowa

Re: Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by toydk »

This is a reply he posted on YouTube:

“Dear Farbror Fittslem,
sorry for my delay to answer you.
It depends of the state of your record. Worn records will wear out the needles tip much faster than records in good shape.
In the average you can use my needles often 2 times. On my best records I can play up to ~4 times with my needle.
Sadly many people used steel needles more than once (a penny article...) , and so we have today quite many worn 78's records.
2 months ago”

User avatar
alang
VTLA
Posts: 3109
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:36 am
Personal Text: TMF Moderator
Location: Delaware

Re: Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by alang »

Someone on the German Forum https://grammophon-platten.de/ has tested those a few months ago and posted about it. There was even a discussion with the vendor in that same thread. Results were mixed if I remember correctly. I tried to find it again, but was not able to, otherwise I would have posted a link.

Andreas

User avatar
AZ*
Victor IV
Posts: 1143
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 8:51 pm
Location: USA

Re: Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by AZ* »

Yeah, I was just curious. I have enough of Mike's needles to keep me going a long time anyway.
Best regards ... AZ*

donniej
Victor III
Posts: 904
Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 3:46 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by donniej »

$35 for 100 needles is a little expensive but I've been experimenting with PTFE (teflon) and couldn't resist ordering a set. I'll let you know how they perform.

soundgen
Victor V
Posts: 2996
Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 2:04 pm
Contact:

Re: Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by soundgen »

donniej wrote:$35 for 100 needles is a little expensive but I've been experimenting with PTFE (teflon) and couldn't resist ordering a set. I'll let you know how they perform.
Perhaps they are Teflon ?

soundgen
Victor V
Posts: 2996
Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 2:04 pm
Contact:

Re: Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by soundgen »

New message from: uhrmacheratelier-gereon-schloesser (24)
Hello!
Well - it depends of the state of the record.
Nearly factory new ones (rare - even I have only ~5 like this) can play up to 6 times.
On very worn ones or extremely loud recorded records the needles tip will last ~one play/side.
In the average you can play 2 sides.
best wishes,

User avatar
Inigo
Victor VI
Posts: 3754
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2017 1:51 am
Personal Text: Keep'em well oiled
Location: Madrid, Spain
Contact:

Re: Plastic phonograph needles - Has anybody tried them?

Post by Inigo »

I'm a little suspicious about those. Watching the u2b video I noticed a grey shadow growing in the record as the needle advanced throug it... Mmmmm... Reminds me of the greying that the bamboo needles leave on some plastic records of late forties.
Me particularly am fond of the self-made bamboo needles, and of mike's steel soft tone needles. I acquired a lot of 10,000 assorted steel needles from him many years ago, when he still use snail mail only... Still remain the loud tone and medium, but the soft tone are largely gone, only a few hundreds remain. I also later bought some hundreds of soft and medium from dear old Barry Williamson (who retired some years ago; anyone knows about him? He was a very helpful guy, and wrote long letters to me explaining how to grease springs and how to fit the four springs on motor no 34).
I've almost never used the medium and loud tone steel needles, they sound too harsh to me. The sound of the soft tone ones is the best for me.
Yet I'll have to order soon from Mike some thousands...!
Inigo

Post Reply