The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Last night I experimented w/ making my own thorn-needles.
Needless to say, I didn’t work at all.

But I did discover something else, very cool IMO.

When I finally accepted the fact, that my homemade cactus needles wouldn’t work, I just stood for a while beside the VV-XI, the turntable kept spinning.
I felt the record with my fingertips, thinking about how small the grooves really are.
Then, fore some unknown reason, I poked my fingernail, sideways on the record.
AND THERE WAS SOUND!
I couldn’t believe it, so I tried again. Yes, sound again, scratchy, but clearly audible sound, protruted from my finger!

After a while, I perfected my nail-playing.

A crucial thing I found out, is that you must have a pretty sharp edge at the side of the nail, like right after you have cut your nails.

You extend your finger (preferably little finger) straight out, w/ your thumb-side up.
Place the very edge on your little finger on the record, I found that it was easiest for me to use my left hand, on the left hand of the spindle.

It really works, & it is really nice to be able to play music, w/ only your body as an instrument.
W/ a little training, I was able to track the grooves for a couple of revelations.

Please, do use a non-valuble record…

Do you need a special "needle cutter" after a few plays or would ordinary nail scissors do?

Now I thought I was the only person to do this! I used to do it as a child with 45's leaning over my parents GEC radiogram fingernail in the groove..and for the best results the knuckle needed to be placed in the ear! Never tried it with 78's though....could be a good way of keeping your nails short I suppose

I also experimented with a rolled up paper horn with a pin as a stylus...again on 45's. Boy my parents would have killed me if they had known...just as well I did it when they were distracted or out! You know there is all this hoo haa about the wrong stylus damaging a vinyl record...well I still have some of those 45s today and despite being played a number of times with a pin, they still sound fine on modern equipment!

RJ

richardh wrote:You know there is all this hoo haa about the wrong stylus damaging a vinyl record...well I still have some of those 45s today and despite being played a number of times with a pin, they still sound fine on modern equipment!

Boy, do you people never throw anything away?!

It's when you can play records with certain other body parts that you really have something to worry about! LOL!
John M

I used to play records with my fingernail, too. When I was a kid, I noticed that I could see the patterns in the grooves of certain 78s with my naked eye, so I just decided to give it a try. With certain records, the volume was surprisingly loud, but most pretty quiet. I never tried it with anything other than a 78. Those microgrooves didn't look like the end of my nail would fit down into them. I liked to use my index finger the best.

Take care,

Jerry