Gramophone and Phonograph notes

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Gramophone Needles
Click here to go to a document that describes the shapes of some of the vast range of steel needles produced for the gramophone.

This document is illustrated with photographs of many very rare needles.

The information is provided for collectors courtesy of the Vintage Wireless and Gramophone Club of Western Australia.

Helping to preserve our technological history

Polydor Concert needle

Why Loud Tone Needles are BAD for Your Records

The needle bar of a soundbox is the lever that connects the tip of the needle to the centre of the diaphragm.

The needle bar is on a pivot so that it can vibrate from side to side.

However the pivot is towards the lower end of the needle bar. In fact the distance between the pivot and the centre of the diaphragm is about 2x the distance from the pivot to the tip of the needle.

This means that if the tip of the needle moves from side to side over a distance of 0.5 mm, then the diaphragm is moved over a distance of 1 mm.

(In the old days we would have said that this is a lever with a distance advantage of 2.)

This also means that the force exerted on the needles tip to make it move is DOUBLE the force required to move the diaphragm, and the needle exerts this force on the shellac of the record.

Of course this all assumes that the needle bar and the needle are totally rigid. In most cases this is not so.

The thicker the needle the more rigid it will be. Thinner needles have a little more flexibility and they bend a little more as the groove makes the needle vibrate.

Consequently a thinner needle makes the diaphragm move a little less and the record sound a little bit softer.

But this also means that the needle exerts a smaller force on the shellac of the record, producing less wear.

Therefore, if I am listening to a record in a normal quiet room I only ever use a soft tone needle.

I may use a medium tone needle if either I want a small audience to listen to the record, or the record is a very old one made before say 1920. Records made after 1926 (electrically recorded discs) are plenty loud enough already.

On the rare occasion when I want to play a record to a large audience in a hall I may consider using a loud tone needles, BUT NEVER ON ANY RARE OR VALUABLE RECORDS.

If you really are concerned about your record collection then you should only used bamboo needles, or soft tone needles. Experience seems to indicate that the wear caused by a bamboo needle is about 10% of the wear caused by a steel needle.

Richard Rennie

The Great, Historic
Aluminium Record Project
A project aimed at preserving on Compact Disc, recordings made by Phonographs Limited in the 1930’s.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s Phonographs Limited in Perth offered a service where people could have recordings made on an aluminium record.

Unfortunately these discs deteriorate with age.

Owners of aluminium records made by Phonographs Limited are invited to join in this important project.

Telephone Richard Rennie 08 9330 1636
email info@lightandsound.net.au

The project is being undertaken by the

Fremantle Light and Sound Discovery Centre
at the
Western Australian Museum Fremantle History.
Helping to preserve our technological history

Book - Soon to be published.
A book on the history of Western Australian Made Wirelesses and Gramophones, and the companies that made them is currently in its research phase. Over forty companies involved in the local manufacture of wirelesses and gramophones are being documented. Interviews with former employees or with descendants of the original owners of the companies have provided information, much of which has never been documented before. Photographs of rare wirelesses and gramophones will provide an insight into this local industry.

Above: Edmac portable gramophone
from the Billy Edwards Music Company, Perth.

History of the Australian record industry
The book Sound Beginning by Ross Laird covers the history of the Australian recording industry in Australia from 1924 to 1934. It covers Pemberton Billing's World Record, Brunswick, HMV, Columbia, Parlophone, Vocalion, Unbreakable Records, Clifford, and the formation of EMI. Superb Detail.
I bought a copy from Screen Sound Australia for $45. The publishers are Currency Press PO Box 2287 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 Australia. Website: http://www.currency.com.au.

Stroboscopes - Western Australia
Most of Australia used 50 hertz AC electricity. However in Western Australia our power was 40 hertz right up until 1958, when the change over to 50 Hz was completed. This means that early stroboscopes for W.A. had to be designed for the 40 Hz supply. These are not rare, but be warned they do not work properly on the "current" system.

For further information about Western Australia's unique AC electricity refer to the book:

Power to the People - The History of Gas and Electricity in Western Australia, SECWA

Gramophone - EMG - display
The Western Australian Museum has on display an EMG Mark X. It is in the Old Gaol gallery. The horn is drooping a bit. The museum has not done anything to support it, despite being told of the problem. However it is in very good condition. It is an early Mark X with the horn emerging to left of centre.

Record speeds
Many people ask "Why 78 rpm?" Up until the 1920's records were made at a variety of speeds from 75 rpm to 84 rpm, and sometimes outside this range. The minimum acceptable speed was governed by the quality of the sound from the innermost grooves of the record. By trial and error this speed was found to be around 78-80 rpm.

The speed of records is based on the American electricity AC standard of 60 hertz (60 vibrations per second). When they wanted to standardize the speed of recording equipment in the studios they started using synchronous electric motors. These are motors that are locked on to the 60 hertz power.
60 hertz is 3600 vibrations per minute. If you use simple gear ratios on the motor, then:

3600 divided by 46 = 78.26 rpm.

3600 divided by 80 = 45 rpm

3600 divided by 108 = 33 1/3 rpm

3600 divided by 216 = 16 2/3 rpm.

Phonograph Society of NSW
This society hold monthly meetings at the Gladesville Library Meeting Room, Pittwater Road (near Victoria Road) Gladesville. Telephone (02) 9489 3417 for details. A quarterly journal (The Sound Record) is published. Visitors welcome.

Needles - gramophone - use of
Use each steel needle ONCE ONLY.
Then throw them away.
Steel needles are designed to play one record only.
Re-using old needles DAMAGES RECORDS PERMANENTLY.

Information on how to check if your needles have been used can be obtained by contacting the club. New needles are available from the club.

Back to index page

The Vintage Wireless and Gramophone Club of W.A.

Gramophone Needles Click here to go to a document that describes the shapes of some of the vast range of steel needles produced for the gramophone. This document is illustrated with photographs of many very rare needles. The information is provided for collectors courtesy of the Vintage Wireless and Gramophone Club of Western Australia. Helping to preserve our technological history	Polydor Concert needle
Why Loud Tone Needles are BAD for Your Records The needle bar of a soundbox is the lever that connects the tip of the needle to the centre of the diaphragm. The needle bar is on a pivot so that it can vibrate from side to side. However the pivot is towards the lower end of the needle bar. In fact the distance between the pivot and the centre of the diaphragm is about 2x the distance from the pivot to the tip of the needle. This means that if the tip of the needle moves from side to side over a distance of 0.5 mm, then the diaphragm is moved over a distance of 1 mm. (In the old days we would have said that this is a lever with a distance advantage of 2.) This also means that the force exerted on the needles tip to make it move is DOUBLE the force required to move the diaphragm, and the needle exerts this force on the shellac of the record. Of course this all assumes that the needle bar and the needle are totally rigid. In most cases this is not so. The thicker the needle the more rigid it will be. Thinner needles have a little more flexibility and they bend a little more as the groove makes the needle vibrate. Consequently a thinner needle makes the diaphragm move a little less and the record sound a little bit softer. But this also means that the needle exerts a smaller force on the shellac of the record, producing less wear. Therefore, if I am listening to a record in a normal quiet room I only ever use a soft tone needle. I may use a medium tone needle if either I want a small audience to listen to the record, or the record is a very old one made before say 1920. Records made after 1926 (electrically recorded discs) are plenty loud enough already. On the rare occasion when I want to play a record to a large audience in a hall I may consider using a loud tone needles, BUT NEVER ON ANY RARE OR VALUABLE RECORDS. If you really are concerned about your record collection then you should only used bamboo needles, or soft tone needles. Experience seems to indicate that the wear caused by a bamboo needle is about 10% of the wear caused by a steel needle. Richard Rennie
The Great, Historic Aluminium Record Project A project aimed at preserving on Compact Disc, recordings made by Phonographs Limited in the 1930’s. In the late 1920s and early 1930s Phonographs Limited in Perth offered a service where people could have recordings made on an aluminium record. Unfortunately these discs deteriorate with age. Owners of aluminium records made by Phonographs Limited are invited to join in this important project. Telephone Richard Rennie 08 9330 1636 email info@lightandsound.net.au The project is being undertaken by the Fremantle Light and Sound Discovery Centre at the Western Australian Museum Fremantle History. Helping to preserve our technological history
Book - Soon to be published. A book on the history of Western Australian Made Wirelesses and Gramophones, and the companies that made them is currently in its research phase. Over forty companies involved in the local manufacture of wirelesses and gramophones are being documented. Interviews with former employees or with descendants of the original owners of the companies have provided information, much of which has never been documented before. Photographs of rare wirelesses and gramophones will provide an insight into this local industry.	Above: Edmac portable gramophone from the Billy Edwards Music Company, Perth.
History of the Australian record industry The book Sound Beginning by Ross Laird covers the history of the Australian recording industry in Australia from 1924 to 1934. It covers Pemberton Billing's World Record, Brunswick, HMV, Columbia, Parlophone, Vocalion, Unbreakable Records, Clifford, and the formation of EMI. Superb Detail. I bought a copy from Screen Sound Australia for $45. The publishers are Currency Press PO Box 2287 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 Australia. Website: http://www.currency.com.au.
Stroboscopes - Western Australia Most of Australia used 50 hertz AC electricity. However in Western Australia our power was 40 hertz right up until 1958, when the change over to 50 Hz was completed. This means that early stroboscopes for W.A. had to be designed for the 40 Hz supply. These are not rare, but be warned they do not work properly on the "current" system. For further information about Western Australia's unique AC electricity refer to the book: Power to the People - The History of Gas and Electricity in Western Australia, SECWA
Gramophone - EMG - display The Western Australian Museum has on display an EMG Mark X. It is in the Old Gaol gallery. The horn is drooping a bit. The museum has not done anything to support it, despite being told of the problem. However it is in very good condition. It is an early Mark X with the horn emerging to left of centre.
Record speeds Many people ask "Why 78 rpm?" Up until the 1920's records were made at a variety of speeds from 75 rpm to 84 rpm, and sometimes outside this range. The minimum acceptable speed was governed by the quality of the sound from the innermost grooves of the record. By trial and error this speed was found to be around 78-80 rpm. The speed of records is based on the American electricity AC standard of 60 hertz (60 vibrations per second). When they wanted to standardize the speed of recording equipment in the studios they started using synchronous electric motors. These are motors that are locked on to the 60 hertz power. 60 hertz is 3600 vibrations per minute. If you use simple gear ratios on the motor, then: 3600 divided by 46 = 78.26 rpm. 3600 divided by 80 = 45 rpm 3600 divided by 108 = 33 1/3 rpm 3600 divided by 216 = 16 2/3 rpm.
Phonograph Society of NSW This society hold monthly meetings at the Gladesville Library Meeting Room, Pittwater Road (near Victoria Road) Gladesville. Telephone (02) 9489 3417 for details. A quarterly journal (The Sound Record) is published. Visitors welcome.
Needles - gramophone - use of Use each steel needle ONCE ONLY. Then throw them away. Steel needles are designed to play one record only. Re-using old needles DAMAGES RECORDS PERMANENTLY. Information on how to check if your needles have been used can be obtained by contacting the club. New needles are available from the club.