5 tips + bonus for gramophone slowing or stopping!
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- 5 tips and a bonus one for dealing with a gramophone or phonograph which play a record. Hold on to the end for the bonus one!
#78rpm
#78rpmshellac
#gramophone
#phonograph
Excellent tips. Some of which I have use myself. Mainly cleaning the records.
Yes, cleaning is certainly a good place to start. I really ought to service some of my soundboxes too! 😅. Thanks 😀 👍
@@mrrgstuff rebuilding a sound box can make all the difference.
All good but I would have also mentioned polishing the disc with an earth friendly non petroleum derived polish.
Thanks 😀 👍. Yes, good idea. 👍
I'd add (re soundboxes) making sure the pivots are in good condition & correctly adjusted, but beware of those that contain tiny ball bearings when dismantling. Also, its worth paying attention to how deep the needle is inserted in its holder. A deeply inserted needle provides less leverage & makes the motor work harder in tracking the grooves. Needle depth has an effect on the volume too.
Thanks 😀 👍. Yes, good points. I tend to put the needle all the way into the holder for convenience, but there is certainly a lot to be said for experimenting with the depth
Quite informative this video. Got myself an HMV 101 today. Nice sound but it spins too fast. Why might this be and how do I go about adjusting the speed?
I guess it's too fast, even with the speed control lever all the way over to the slow position? It may be that the lever needs adjustment. I had the opposite issue with my 102, where it won't go fast enough. I did try adjusting the lever unsuccessfully, and concluded the motor really needs a full service. Doesn't sound like that's the issue for you. The fake motors OTOH, do run too fast, but I suspect the governor springs are too stiff, and this certainly won't be the case for your HMV. Maybe you could do a video and show the problem? Thanks 😀 👍
@@mrrgstuff your first point is absolutely right, even with the lever all the way slow it runs too fast. I'll make a quick video about it soon explaining everything, so thanks for the suggestion. The soundbox is in good condition and the machine delivers excellent sound. Very happy with it! 😊
Happy new year! Have you heard about steam powered gramophones? Well, apparently such things existed! I saw a video on Whatsapp about a kerosene powered turntable with auto velocity stabilizatios (that with spining balls). Unfortunately I couldn't find any further references about it, but it was fascinating!
Happy New year to you also! 😀. I have seen pictures and videos of similar machines and also hot air/Stirling driven ones too I would love to try this. Thanks 😀 👍
Hi I've been trying to use this "his master voice" gramophone a friend gave me I never used this item before but I'm fascinated & intrigue by it. Long story short, the needles I got seem to be thiner than the ones you show on this video. I also saw your "just how fake video" and now I wonder if can I actually play any records and if the needle is the right size. Can pls provide me with some guidance? I searched online but there is scarce information about the mechanincs of a gramophone or how to play it. Thank you.
Thanks very much for the comment. If you have got a His Masters Voice machine with a brass horn, it is most likely to be a modern replica or fake. Original machines are hard to come by and quite expensive.
These fake machines do have a poor reputation as they are sold more as decoration pieces which have moving parts, rather than actual working machines. Having said that, I find them fun, and with a bit of luck and adjustment, will play records, but don't use any that you really care about.
Other than the general poor build quality, they usually run too fast, and often suffer from a wonky turntable and a wobbly tonearm. These things can be addressed to an extent. I don't have a general video on using one (but that is a great idea, and I will add it to the list. Thanks 😀), but I do have a playlist of videos of the things I have tried with my one:
My fake gramophones: ua-cam.com/play/PLsCYUbO6xxnSQxENr28Cg05DiRuC5O47w.html
This video on measuring turntable speed might be helpful too:
ua-cam.com/video/FRHwDRF082g/v-deo.html
Though, set the turntable speed to the lowest setting and make sure the phone case is either securely attached or has enough friction so it doesn't fly off the turntable! If you don't want to risk your phone, you can just watch the label of the record turning and see how many revolutions you get in a minute. Ideally 78.
On the subject of needles, too thin is not usually a problem. The thicker the needle, the louder it will play, but then the more power is needed to drive the record around. Often, a thinner needle will play better and still be plenty loud enough. I use soft tone needles, which are less than 1mm in diameter. Medium tone needles are about 1mm to 1.5mm and loud tone are thicker than that. Needles are intended to be single use and can be bought online fairly cheaply in packs of 100+. A couple of pointers for use. Don't try and start the record with the needle in the groove. Let the record get up to speed before carefully placing the needle on the record. When you do put the needle down, place it on the right side edge of the record, and not the left. Hope that helps a little and good luck! 👍 😀
Do you have a list of all the different groove widths British record companies used?
I don't, sorry. I know in the early days record masters often appeared on more than one label. Presumably, by the time EMI came along, things like groove width were pretty much standardised. Thanks 😀 👍
@@mrrgstuff I've heard of Broadcast and Broadcast Twelve 78s having finer grooves than most 78s so 8" and 10" discs could have the same playing time as normal 10" & 12" ones respectively. But that attempt at longer play time at lower cost only lasted five or six years.
@stereogramfan Yes, that is a very good point. Broadcast records and similar ones like Eclipse and Edison Bell Radio will have narrower grooves. Thanks 😀 👍
as i think this is one of the old gramophones when the sound slows and then stops
This one is over 100 years old and has a fairly weak motor, so is easily slowed down or stopped. With care though it will play records all the way through.
oh ok
👍👍👍
Thanks 😀 👍
You can also wet the record.
Yes, though some records have a paper or wood based core which will expand when wet. Only really a problem if you wet a damaged record that has been made like this. I'll see if I can find an example to put in a video. Thanks 😀 👍