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It's a Silvertone portable phonograph. I just can't seem to find the model (no identification on the machine itself). I lost the needle for it and want to get it replaced.

This takes plain steel needles which you use once for each record and then throw away. Search Ebay for Victrola Needles.

These were designed to play shellac based 78 rpm records only, and as estott notes, they use steel needles, which were designed to play one or two sides of a record before changing.

I don't know the model, but it's very close to one that was offered in the 1938 Sears catalog. Here's a blurry blowup image of a thumbnail image I found via Google's image search:


Since the model you have does not have the record storage pocket, I'm guessing that it might be post-WWII -- circa 1946/1947.

There's a youtube video of one that seems to use the same case as the one you have, but the tonearm is positioned on the other side of the turntable --

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-wJtJbiLPs[/youtube]

As with many acoustic phonograph videos you find on YouTube, it sounds HORRIBLE, probably because a worn out needle is being used, or the reproducer needs a re-build, or both.

Steel needles are available from a number of sellers, and prices vary. You can easily find them by doing a Google search for:

steel needles phonograph OR gramophone

HTH,
Joe

Thanks! I have two questions:

1. How long would you say one needle would last on a semi-scratched typical 78 RPM record? Are the needles even worth cleaning due to their short life?
2. I looked online and these needles seem to be about $0.10 a piece or less (usually a lot cheaper), depending on the seller. The only thing is that there are different "tone"s of needles. Medium, loud, soft, etc. What are the differences?

The needle I had before sounded terrible. Kinda like the one in the video. Truly terrifying. I'm glad I lost it now, or I would've kept using the same one thinking it was the phonograph's fault.

1. The needles last for 1 (one) side of 1 (one) record.
2. The soft-medium-loud designations refer to the loudness of the sound produced by the needle, still one play one side per needle.

You use the needle ONCE, that means at most one record, two sides- then you throw it away. The idea is that the needle wears, not the record.

The difference between loud, medium, soft needles is the thickness of the steel - get a pack of medium to start.

I found these ones cheap on ebay. Will these work?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-MEDIUM-TONE ... 58a9536ccb

Get the Medium Tone from Martin Bryan. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1000-Victrola-P ... 441wt_1159


I have never had a problem with these needles.

Is there a smaller package, like 500 needles available?

QuickDog wrote:I found these ones cheap on ebay. Will these work?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-MEDIUM-TONE ... 58a9536ccb

These will work just fine.