bought a Victrola last week

[cutter]

It is not surround, stereo or electric, but I bought a Victrola last week because I have always wanted one. I have my parents 78's and grandparents 78's and thought it would be cool to own one. I am wondering if any QQ members own one and have any tips about using it for me. It came with the original instruction manual and a metal container of needles. The instructions say with the metal needle they should be swapped out after every play. It also mentions a Victor Fiber Needle that does not have to be changed out as often. It also says it should be oiled before use but does not mention oil type (thinking sewing machine?). Any help will be greatly appreciated so I don't ruin it. I bought it from a coworker who played some of the opera discs that came with it when he bought it. thanks, Scott

 

[Quad Linda]

Could you please post some pix?

 

[lennon fan]

It is not surround, stereo or electric, but I bought a Victrola last week because I have always wanted one. I have my parents 78's and grandparents 78's and thought it would be cool to own one. I am wondering if any QQ members own one and have any tips about using it for me. It came with the original instruction manual and a metal container of needles. The instructions say with the metal needle they should be swapped out after every play. It also mentions a Victor Fiber Needle that does not have to be changed out as often. It also says it should be oiled before use but does not mention oil type (thinking sewing machine?). Any help will be greatly appreciated so I don't ruin it. I bought it from a coworker who played some of the opera discs that came with it when he bought it. thanks, Scott

a lubrication of the spring is a good idea if you have access to it. really early 78's are pretty hearty so if you use a regular needle more than once no biggie but should be swapped out when you notice a deterioration of sound quality,
if you come across rock and roll records from the 50's don't play these on a Victrola because they'll get chewed up

 

[quadsearcher]

a lubrication of the spring is a good idea if you have access to it. really early 78's are pretty hearty so if you use a regular needle more than once no biggie but should be swapped out when you notice a deterioration of sound quality,
if you come across rock and roll records from the 50's don't play these on a Victrola because they'll get chewed up

no Blue Note jazz sides, etc., either!

 

[Circular Vibes]

Actually, just because it is on a 78 rpm disc doesn't make it a Victrola record. Anything made during the 1940's and 1950's (or newer) is NOT a Victrola record. Some machines will have a strong enough spring on the motor to plow through your grooves, but the records will have white grooves in a couple plays. Records before 1940 had stronger materials and the required grinding agents (the source of predominant surface noise) to aid the shaping the steel needle. If you have come across some of the plastic kids records of the 1950's, like Peter Pan discs, you will see the material was extremely hard( unlike the parrents plastic records) to withstand using hand me down machines. The best sounding reccords are pre-1925 accoustic records. They are robust and the sound levels aren't overpowering for your reproducer. The needles "should" be replaced every side (not disc), but can be used twice if your arm is lighter. A trick I used on lesser condition discs was to slack the needle chuck screw, rotate the needle 90 degrees and retighten the chuck screw. Eaarly dance orchestra records and opera like Caruso or Galli-Curci can sound wonderful played accoustically. There are some wonderful comedy records out there as well. Search out Uncle Zed buys a Graphophone.

 

[Circular Vibes]

I should have also added that I too would like to see your photos of mechanical pro nog raffy!:yikes Hopefully posted before your winding arm gets too sore.:couch

 

[cutter]

 

[cutter]

Sorry if I screwed that up. That was my first attempt at posting a photo. Thank you for all the responses. I hope to find some time this weekend to play with it but just found out I get some mandatory OT on Saturday. Sucks for me. My fathers 78's were 40's & 50's but my grandparents are things like Paul Whiteman and others I will have to go back and look at. I have always guessed these were from the 20's and 30's just from stories I remember. I will have to start going through the boxes.

 

[quadsearcher]

Looks great! We had had tabletop one my dad restored when I was a kid. I need to get some sleeves and save what's left of the old records.

 

[John Svensson]

I have 3 of them, a Victrola tabletop, Columbia tabletop, and an Edison console. Needles, Yes - I use once and toss, they are a few bucks per hundred, why would you save them? You can buy them in varying thickness to match different record brands. Go to the Talking Machine Forum for collecting and use advice and you will discover the great variety of machines and period records. Lucky me, in the general area I have at least 2 skilled, full time repair and restoration guys for them also.

 

[John Svensson]

P.S.- For the best quality heavy duty paper sleeves go to www.78rpm.com, and owner Kurt Nauck also has an extensive online auction service, and printed catalog. Win a few and he sends you a cool fridge magnet too!

 

[The Bushmaster]

I have the same Victrola you have in my front room. It was my grandmother's. Look on e-bay for tungsten needles. They can be used anywhere from 25 times to 100 times depending on the manufacturer. If you use a strong magnifying glass or your stylus microscope you can get a better picture as to when the needle is worn.

 

[Frantic]

Well, this is a stock photo of the one we own. (VV-210)
I will send my pics at a later time.

It is quite fun to use and the sound, for it's era, is amazing!

 

[DennisMabry]

Nice looking player!

I have a 1917 Edison Diamond Disc player. The Edison discs are about 1/4" thick and play at 80 rpms. When RCA came out with the Victrola they changed the speed slightly so as not to infringe on Edison's patent. Obviously RCA won the format war. The acetate Victrola 78's indeed are played with steel needles. There are two types of needles, regular and loud playing. I have a Victrola adapter for my player and a speed adjustment for the 78's. I use bamboo needles for the 78's. They will not damage the records. Somewhere in the 30's or 40's they started making the 78's out of vinyl, requiring the players to have a ruby or diamond stylus. If you play a vinyl record with a steel needle, it will play once, then be permanently damaged. That's why I use the bamboo needles as it will play both with no damage. The only trade off being that it doesn't play as loud. The main difference in discs are the modulation. Edison used an up and down modulation (aka; hill & dale). RCA's use side to side modulation therefore requiring a floating tonearm. This side to side modulation allowed for better frequency response and greater dynamic range. The Edison players use a worm gear so the diamond needle tracks exactly the same for every disc resulting in a finite record time for each disc. Wax cylinders were played in the same manner. I bought mine at the Sights and Sounds of Edison shop in Milan OH. http://www.edisonman.com/ They have many Victrola players as well.

 

[cutter]

I love surround, but I can't wait to get this cranked up. I appreciate all the help that is coming in since I just want to keep it in working order and hope to enjoy for many years. I am trying to spilt my basement into two different areas with my surround and HD in one half and the other with an old tube tv, an old tube radio found cleaning out my parents house I never new existed and my 8 track pop up player with an older 60's era turntable hooked up. All I need is more tome in my week but with the Victrola addition I am currently inspired to make it happen. Scott

 

[The Bushmaster]

My brother has our grandma's Edison cylinder player and around 100 cylinders..."The Preacher and the Bear" was always my favorite.

Steel needles come in Soft, Medium and Loud.