An education in Tungstone needles requested, please

[Tinkerbell]

All feedback and advice duly noted... Thank you to all who responded. Perhaps for now I will stick to my cache of regular and fibre needles.

Tink, just get an Edison and forget about those bothersome needles.

In due time, my good man, in due time...

As a newcomer, I am starting at the bottom with the items that catch my interest to educate myself, (and therefore not risking any irreparable damage to potentially valuable machines with my own tinkering), and working my way up as I go along.

At least that is my modus operandi at the present. As I have found out, that collecting bug can be a viral thing if left unchecked.

[gregbogantz]

I agree with most of what's been said here about Tungstone needles. Because the originals are so expensive to buy as collector's items, I make my own to use in my assortment of early record changers. After all, what good is a record changer that's capable of playing a stack of 10 or more records if you have to change the steel needle every side or two? I have not noticed increased record wear over that obtained with steel needles so long as the tungstens are properly "formed".

The most important thing to remember with tungsten needles is to "form" them up when first installing them or when reinstalling them. Tungsten is MUCH harder than steel and takes longer to form itself to the shape of the record groove. Until they are fully formed, they will gouge the groove walls. Form them by playing a junk record for one or two minutes before playing any good record with the newly installed needle.

The Victor Tungstones contained wire just under 7 mils (0.007 inch) in diameter. This is just slightly larger than the typical groove width of 5.5 to 6 mils. So the formed wire DOES touch then entire depth of the groove walls, as does a formed steel needle. This allows the formed tungstens to provide similar record wear characteristics to that of steel.

There have been several discussions about tungsten needles on this Forum. Check out the archive to find out more.

[frenchmarky]

I use my own homemade tungsten needles for my Victor 10-50 because of the changer also but when I restored my Credenza and gave it to my mother, I supplied her with some of these needles too. She is nearly 87 and I didn't want her worrying about constantly changing needles just so she could play thru the little batches of decent but common-as-dirt Victor '20s/early '30s orthophonic records I've been loaning her. (None are actually valuable per se but most of them sound perty darn good and some look very shiny & low-play, to me anyway.) She also loves the electric turntable and the eccentric groove auto-shutoff.

I know these conveniences are making it much more of a joy than a chore for her to play the records by herself. I visit often enough that at the rate she plays them, I can yank out a needle that is getting too close to the nub. : ))

[gramophone78]

If you want to use a tungstone needle that will last you for a very long time.I would recomend buying one of these "Everplay" needles.I see them for sale on Ebay from time to time.They sell from 50-125 depending on how bad you and someone else want one.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

JHolmesesq I'd love to see that ad. Here's another one from Punch giving " needle 101" I should re-do the scan. I did this on a friend's scanner last year when my old one died. The new one I have does a nicer job.

Jim

[gramophone78]

Sorry LSG,I'm Gramophone78.Are you asking about this piece??.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Gramophone78: Wonderful ad but it was JHolmesq that I was referring to. I was foggy this morning. I love the original printed material: I'm kind of a paper fanatic.
And speaking of Tungs-tone needles: I'm hesitiant to use them because I have a vague suspicion they are harder on the records than soft tone steel needles. Especially the Canadian Victor pressings that are such tender little flowers.
J

I have an old poster from Punch Magazine advertising the "latest tungstyle needles". Unfortunately it is in storage at the moment but if I remember correctly, it linked "Cleopatras Needle" with a record needle - both preserve things for longer (If you ask me their marketing pitch sucks).

Basically the idea was that it can be used many times over to play records and it reduces wear. When I get my poster out of storage I shall have to scan it.

[JHolmesesq]

Lenoirstreetguy, I am moving house this weekend - so I will unpack my gramophone posters soon and scan them for the forum

[1926CredenzaOwner]

!

[JHolmesesq]

Alright! Here is my Tungstone needle poster from HMV: