You can buy a cartridge for your turntable that has 5 to 7 mil conical diamonds. You might find that the standard stereo stylus might miss the existing wear and produce a clean reproduction of badly damaged originals. These will fit into any of the modern turntables and play mono records. The Thorens TD 126 Mk III is not a bad choice if you do not have one. It will cover the 78 rpm to 80 rpm speeds without a lot of work. You will be surprised how good some of these old recordings sound. I think Kurt Kauck has information on the details of setting this up on his website, complete with pictures. Thatcher Graham wrote: > Rich, > > In my general naivety toward this new hobby I'd assumed everybody knew > that the steel needle damages the groove. I wasn't aware there was even > a debate. A modern tone arm tracks in grams, the phonograph in ounces! > But I do have a question. Most of my collection I've assumed to be > relatively valueless. Is there a simple resource I can use so I don't > happen to destroy one that /is /actually valuable? > > -Thatcher > > > Rich wrote: >> Robert, >> I have used highly modified RABCO arms to play records on modern >> Thorens belt drive turn tables since the early 70s. >> >> What you are very clearly explaining here is correct but I quit trying >> to convince the true believers of the permanent damage they were >> inflicting on irreplaceable records. >> >> You are also correct in stating that the damage created by a properly >> setup DD machine is minimal when compared to all of the rest of the >> period machines. >> >> Your treatise on phonograph geometry and record damage should stir up >> some activity. I am picturing a young boy with a stick stuck far into >> a hornet nest stirring briskly while his brother looks on from a safe >> distance. >> >> Rich >> >> Robert Wright wrote: >>> Many times the pros and cons of playing shellac discs on wind-up >>> phonographs have been discussed here on this list. >> >> <BIG SNIP> >>> >>> I have never agreed with this. I'm a child of the 80's, and I >>> remember when CD's came out - >> >> <BIG SNIP> >>> >>> But then, we all know that no matter how die-hard a collector's >>> conviction is that no groove damage occurs from wind-up playback, >>> it's not often we see any of them playing Caruso Zonophones and the >>> like on their Vic VI's. >>> >>> Thoughts? Comments? Corrections? It has been quiet in here for a >>> while, indeed! >>> >>> >>> Best to All, >>> Robert >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Phono-L mailing list >> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > >