How to tell if your machine is playing right.

[Photoj]

So I'm playing my Vic III with a soft tone needle and it actually sounds great, but my concern is when I'm done one side of a record the needle has black residue left on it, is that normal? I have also cleaned the record prior to playing it. I'm not seeing any visible damage to the record. Also the reproducer has been slightly turned a couple of times and I have tried to place it back to where it was. Is there a certain angle it should be positioned in. Here is how it sits right now.

[Roaring20s]

...Also the reproducer has been slightly turned a couple of times and I have tried to place it back to where it was. Is there a certain angle it should be positioned in.

Photos of how your reproducer sits on a record may be useful.

James.

[Photoj]

I have added a photo now and actually you can hear it play at this link.

http://vimeo.com/70882953

[Player-Tone]

It looks like you rebuilt it with new gaskets, that's good.

A possible cause for additional record wear is an unbalanced needlebar. The mica diaphragm should be relaxed when the reproducer is at rest, the needlebar should not be pushing or pulling on it.

-In addition, make sure the balance springs are not too tight. You want just enough tension to hold the needlebar in place. Too much tension will make the needlebar stiff, which will cause excess record wear (dust). I can't quite tell from the pic, but the balance spring screw looks a bit tight.

~The angle of the needle in relation to the record should be 60 degrees.

-I posted a thread some time ago with this same question, there are pictures showing the black dust build up on my needles if you want to compare- this thread never really got an answer:
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =2&t=13253

Since that post I managed to greatly reduce my record wear by improving the tracking angle on my Victrola No.2 (can also be done with your Exhibition). The angle was changed with the flange gasket, allowing a harmless and reversable mod that greatly improved its performance.
-Here is the link to that thread in the 'Tips, Tricks & Tutorials' section:
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =7&t=13306

The early Victor phonographs were poorly designed, it wasen't until the mid 20s that they improved that with the Orthophonic models.

[Photoj]

Thanks for the helpful info. This is my first machine and want to make sure I'm playing it right.

[Roaring20s]

That's a very nice looking phonograph you have.

I put a protractor to the photo and the angle looks to be about 60º. I was concerned that it was off by your statement. The angle is pre-set when the reproducer is fitted correctly onto the U shaped tube. The right angled slot on the tube corresponds to a pin on the reproducer. Slide it on and rotate it until it stops.

It's hard for me to comment about the dust.
Just remember, 'one needle per play'.

I am not sure how much play there is in the back bracket, but it should be at a right angle to the platter. That will alter the needle angle as well.

Another simple alignment check is that the empty needle holder (of the reproducer) should be able to sit on top of the spindle.

That's all I got.

James.

[epigramophone]

What did you clean the record with before playing it?

The deposit on the needle could be nothing more than dislodged dirt.

[FellowCollector]

What did you clean the record with before playing it?

I was going to ask the exact same question. Debris left on a needle or stylus is not necessarily a cause for concern relative to record wear particularly if you had just recently cleaned the record before playing it. Ideally, the method you used to clean the record would leave little or no noticeable deposit from the material used to clean and dry it. However, if you used a cloth, towel, fuzzy type material that may deposit some of that material in the grooves during cleaning then the needle may, in effect, be cleaning out some of that material (or decades of sludge if the record was excessively dirty) during play. If your needle was possibly already worn before play then it certainly could be record debris, however. All of this said, you are playing a typically quiet surface "flag label" Columbia record on an acoustic machine for the demo video. I would not expect the grooves for these Columbia records to hold much cleaning debris - unless the record is pretty worn which would create a somewhat abrasive effect on the cleaning cloth and thereby attract some debris. Just some of my thoughts.

- Doug

[Player-Tone]

Another comment on performance: it might just have not shown up in the picture, but there looks to be no sealing wax on the needlebar and lock screw. This won't affect record wear, but it will impact the reproducers audio performance over time.

Just a small bit of melted beeswax is all you need, it can be heated with a soldering iron.
-Sorry if you did this already, I just didn't see it in your picture.

[howardpgh]

I clean my record before and after ech playing. I use a a microfiber cloth wrapped around a "magic" eraser which actually some sort of foam sponge.
The idea is to clean the record first, then after playing to clean the dislodged dirt from the grooves.
Also, dirty records cause the needle to drag and slow down.