The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Occasionally I see Tungs-Tone needles usually in their original tin selling on Ebay.. For the most part people are willing to pay up for them if they are not used.

Is there a huge benefit of using these needles over the plain old steel needles?? I have a few but don't really notice a big difference in the sound quality..

Was wondering if they are better for the record as far as degradation...

Blizz

Tungs-Tone needles are particularly suited for use in early automatic changers, such as the VE10-50 or VE10-35.
For manual phonographs the convenience of not changing the needle after every side is a plus.
If you change your steel needle after each side the sound quality and record wear issue should be pretty much identical IMO.
It would be nice if someone could market a modern Tungs-Tone needle. I know there are people out there who've hand-made their own, but the effort involved makes them very costly at this point in time.
Bob

This is a topic of frequent discussion and controversy. I'd suggest you search the board to read more.