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Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:18 pm
by poodling around
Re: Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:19 pm
by 52089
Those are sewing pins.
Re: Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:44 pm
by pallophotophone
Even if you were to cut their heads off, they'd sound awful because they are spring steel. At least last time I tried this- about 50 years ago- they were spring steel and sounded awful !
Re: Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 3:06 pm
by Inigo

yes, i also tried them and.... horrible!
Re: Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 9:35 am
by poodling around
Thanks everyone.
I am now much wiser and I will leave my mothers sewing needles alone !

Re: Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 3:09 pm
by Watanabehi
poodling around wrote: Sat Dec 10, 2022 9:35 am
Thanks everyone.
I am now much wiser and I will leave my mothers sewing needles alone !
I agree they are sewing needles and they are too thin and long to produce good sound. I have thorn(cactus) needles, some of which are too thin to produce good sound. As you know cutting machines have triangular tips to make record grooves, so bamboo needles fit into the records' grooves ideally. Check the attachment of the cutting needle.
Hideki
Re: Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 11:52 pm
by gramophoneshane
Just for the sake of accuracy, these are dressmakers PINS.
Sewing needles have a hole/slot in them to take a thread.
While on the subject of using pins or needles to play records, I remember when I was 13 yrs old, I bought my first Diamond Disc record.
I didn't have an Edison DD phonograph to play it, but my first gramophone that I'd bought a few months earlier had a Fletcher tonearm and soundbox that was capable of playing both lateral and vertical recording.
After finding an ordinary gramophone needle damaged the grooves, I experimented with various pins and needles.
I found that by cutting a ball point sewing machine needle (used to sew stretch fabric) to the appropriate length, it played the Diamond Disc without doing any damage to the record.
While I wouldn't recommend using a ball point needle to play DD records, it actually worked very well, although the volume was similar to playing a lateral record with a soft tone needle.
Re: Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2022 11:29 am
by Lah Ca
Hmmm ... dunno ....
Maybe those needles are the special and extremely rare Gilbert and Sullivan endorsed sterling silver Argent-O-Phone Silver Throat needles manufactured especially for playing the HMS
Pinafore on 78 RPM recordings.

- 2022-12-12 08.21.49 www.popsike.com 7388b35454e0.png (296.56 KiB) Viewed 546 times
Whatever, these needles are so rare that I expect that the vendor has the market all
sewn up. £65 seems like an absolute
steal.

Re: Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2022 1:29 pm
by gramophoneshane
I'm jealous you've got the Pinafore set.
I've got Pirates, Mikado, Iolanthe, Princess and a bunch of others, but Pinafore is one I haven't been lucky enough to find.
They're great sets IMO.
I have noticed though on some discs you'll hear someone cough or talk in the runoff groove.
Re: Odd shaped needles maybe ?
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2022 3:22 pm
by Lah Ca
gramophoneshane wrote: Mon Dec 12, 2022 1:29 pm
I'm jealous you've got the Pinafore set.
No need. It, for me at present, is a wish list item only.
gramophoneshane wrote: Mon Dec 12, 2022 1:29 pm
I've got Pirates, Mikado, Iolanthe, Princess and a bunch of others, but Pinafore is one I haven't been lucky enough to find.
They're great sets IMO.
How quickly the jealousy tables turn!!!
