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| 5th Nov 2013, 11:57 AM | #1 REPORT | |
 | nboldock Lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink. Member since Feb 2012 7198 Points Moderator | My other half and I would like, at some point, to be able to play the few 78s we currently have. We'd also like to accumulate more of them but there is little incentive at the moment as we can't listen to them. Really we'd like a proper (antique) gramophone but this may be a while before we can sort that out. In the meantime, what alternatives are there? Are there any affordable modern turntables that can/will play 78s? What other options are there? Thanks in advance... all tips/suggestions welcome. Edited by nboldock on 5th Nov 2013, 11:58 AM |
| 5th Nov 2013, 1:22 PM | #2 REPORT | |
 | getalife So many questions, so few answers Member since Nov 2010 877 Points Moderator | How about this for starters: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-USB-TURNTABLE-CONVERTS-LP-VINYL-RECORDS-TO-MP3-HIFI-DJ-PLAYER-33-45-78-RPM-/231013824390[/url] |
| 5th Nov 2013, 1:46 PM | #3 REPORT | |
 | Jock_Girl A girl who looks good in vinyl Member since Dec 2012 1544 Points Moderator | I have found equipment that can play 78s at pawn shops and second hand stores. They can be had for cheap. I have a 1950s vintage turntable designed for use in schools that does a great job |
| 5th Nov 2013, 1:49 PM | #4 REPORT | |
| nboldock Lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink. Member since Feb 2012 7198 Points Moderator |
getalife wrote:
How about this for starters: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-USB-TURNTABLE-CONVERTS-LP-VINYL-RECORDS-TO-MP3-HIFI-DJ-PLAYER-33-45-78-RPM-/231013824390[/url]
Ah, yeah, I knew about them (but had forgotten). Not sure we want to go through the computer with them though but I guess I could probably rig something up to make this go through my stereo (which is what my regular turntable does). |
| 5th Nov 2013, 1:51 PM | #5 REPORT | |
| nboldock Lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink. Member since Feb 2012 7198 Points Moderator |
Jock_Girl wrote:
I have found equipment that can play 78s at pawn shops and second hand stores. They can be had for cheap. I have a 1950s vintage turntable designed for use in schools that does a great job
We did actually see a gorgeous Columbia (iirc) gramophone in an antique shop a while back but we bottled out of buying it. You live and learn! I guess we may have to start checking out the odd flea market and so on. Which is no bad thing. |
| 5th Nov 2013, 2:24 PM | #6 REPORT | |
 | zabadak Caddacack oh da ca-caddacack, shy shy skagellack Member since Jun 2010 4156 Points | Just in case, the "gramophones" to which you refer can murder discs at an alarming rate, plus replacement stylii are hard to come by. Your best bet, if I may say, is to get a second-hand multi-speed jobbie. I bought a Bush one from Greenwich Market a few years ago for a tenner and it's mighty fine. It even has sockets for headohones and earphones 9which I can play thru my hi-fi)!  Edited by zabadak on 6th Nov 2013, 1:47 PM |
| 5th Nov 2013, 3:15 PM | #7 REPORT | |
| nboldock Lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink. Member since Feb 2012 7198 Points Moderator | Yeah that might be the best bet then. My old fella actually had a gramophone a few years ago (obtained from a Kent antique shop) but when he sold it on, I wasn't interested in 78s, then... oh well. |
| 5th Nov 2013, 6:54 PM | #8 REPORT | |
 | RadnaNotions Member since Dec 2012 39 Points | Probably too much for what you're looking for but the Rega P78 is a modern deck that plays at only 78. |
| 5th Nov 2013, 11:31 PM | #9 REPORT | |
| scrough🍰 No picture 'cos I'm not into 45rpm :( Member since Jan 2013 3429 Points Moderator | I've got a Rega Planar 78, but even second hand they're over a ton (that's £100+). I transcribe all my 78s and then declick etc, before either putting onto CD or playing back on the hifi via the PC soundcard. Unless you've got records of value, I'd suggest something from the 1940s or early 50s that were built for the job. If you've got enough space, a radiogram would fit the bill well, and they're often available cheap. But you'll struggle to get a decent replay sound for earlier 78s because of the vast range of EQs used when cutting the discs. |
| 6th Nov 2013, 7:14 AM | #10 REPORT | |
 | TopPopper Member since Mar 2013 2612 Points | Those old "suitcase" record players from the 60s will play 78s as well as standard vinyls. There's a mini-industry in refurbished ones - check Ebay for Fidelity, HMV, Bush etc - or my favourite, the square Dansette Bermuda. You're looking at circa £100 for a refurb, less for just a regular old player. I think you need to be careful about buying modern decks which spin at 78. I remember reading that vinyl records have the music etched onto the sides of the groove, whereas 78s have it on the bottom, so the needle moves up and down as it plays, rather than left/right. Not sure if modern decks account for that. Edited by TopPopper on 6th Nov 2013, 7:17 AM |
| 6th Nov 2013, 8:46 AM | #11 REPORT | |
| nboldock Lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink. Member since Feb 2012 7198 Points Moderator |
TopPopper wrote:
Those old "suitcase" record players from the 60s will play 78s as well as standard vinyls. There's a mini-industry in refurbished ones - check Ebay for Fidelity, HMV, Bush etc - or my favourite, the square Dansette Bermuda. You're looking at circa £100 for a refurb, less for just a regular old player.
I think you need to be careful about buying modern decks which spin at 78. I remember reading that vinyl records have the music etched onto the sides of the groove, whereas 78s have it on the bottom, so the needle moves up and down as it plays, rather than left/right. Not sure if modern decks account for that. Ah yes, a dansette would be a rather nice addition to the household :-) Plenty to think about. Thanks for all the tips, cats 'n' kittens. |
| 6th Nov 2013, 9:01 AM | #12 REPORT | |
 | mickey rat Member since Jan 2012 3050 Points | You must also make sure you have a proper 78 stylus because a stylus designed for 33/45 vinyl will eff your grooves after a few plays. I haven't had a 78 collection or anything to play them on for quite some years but I remember buying a diamond stylus specifically manufactured for 78s in the 1970s that lasted for ages. I can't remember what kind of deck I had but it featured one of those flip-over heads with different needles for 45/33 and 78. |
| 6th Nov 2013, 10:06 AM | #13 REPORT | |
 | An6y66 Member since Jul 2012 1817 Points | I have two of the old style suitcase decks. Both cost me about £20 from pawn shops. Ones a BSR the others a collaro. A brand new flip over cartridge with universal mounting for all those old decks are £10-£20 and they do them with 78 or 45 styli on both sides if you don't have any 78's |
| 6th Nov 2013, 1:39 PM | #14 REPORT | |
| scrough🍰 No picture 'cos I'm not into 45rpm :( Member since Jan 2013 3429 Points Moderator |
TopPopper wrote:
I remember reading that vinyl records have the music etched onto the sides of the groove, whereas 78s have it on the bottom, so the needle moves up and down as it plays, rather than left/right. Not sure if modern decks account for that.
|
| 6th Nov 2013, 2:49 PM | #15 REPORT | |
| Jock_Girl A girl who looks good in vinyl Member since Dec 2012 1544 Points Moderator | If I win the lottery and get lotsa cash --- I want one of these Laser Turntables to play my 78s. Only US$10,000 Edited by Jock_Girl on 6th Nov 2013, 2:50 PM |
| 6th Nov 2013, 3:33 PM | #16 REPORT | |
| Jock_Girl A girl who looks good in vinyl Member since Dec 2012 1544 Points Moderator |
mickey rat wrote:
You must also make sure you have a proper 78 stylus because a stylus designed for 33/45 vinyl will eff your grooves after a few plays.
Actually -- its the other way around because the stylus (and groove) for 78s is bigger than that on a 45 or lp -- microgroove! So -- if you use the smaller stylus on 78, you'll get rubbish sound and the possibly greater wear and tear on the stylus. If you use the 78 stylus on a 45 or lp you will rip the grooves up -- because the stylus is bigger and the material is softer than shellac. Amy |
| 6th Nov 2013, 10:17 PM | #17 REPORT | |
| RadnaNotions Member since Dec 2012 39 Points | I made the video that Whyperion charitably linked to this record. I grew up with the Fidelity deck that's (incompletely) modelled in the video. That's why, even though I still own it, I wouldn't play any records I really cared about on it - certainly not 33s anyway. Because I know what the records I bought in my youth sound like now. And I guess I know why most of the 45s from the 50s and 60s I buy today are so worn... |
| 7th Nov 2013, 6:21 AM | #18 REPORT | |
| mickey rat Member since Jan 2012 3050 Points | Actually -- its the other way around Duh. True that, Amy. Shows how long it is since I played a 78! And reminds me that I bought early 45s more than once that looked clean in regular light but had been totally shagged by somebody in the 1950s using a 78 needle (probably with an arm as heavy as a brick too). |
| 8th Nov 2013, 4:35 PM | #19 REPORT | |
| Whyperion SUBS Too Many Records , Too Little Time Member since Jan 2013 306 Points | I had great difficulty selling one spare record player a few years back ( eventually sold ) , a Philips suitcase one with a BSR deck , if it had been a dansette then the £100 was feasible , I think I got £30 for it , I did use it a fair bit though . Aside from a nice Garrard deck home made player in the Mid 1960s ( with change over cartridge that as a 8 year old I forgot one year to change over ) , - the deck eventually gave up and I did not know how to repair , followed by a Philips radiogram from Tempo in the 1970s - after 4 exchanged we got a good enough one , though VHF reception was always difficult , its currently living at my cousins house. The amstradish radiogramme is sitting on the record store at the present time , but I have not used it for some years , and needs a re-grease and the belts replaced on the cassette deck. Dad has a Dynatron from 1971 that will one day work again , it takes up space in a small flat though. The USB assorted types normally dont come with a 78 stylus as standard , costing £10-20 extra for one that might fit the tone arm. As discussed on 45cat the lack of a balanced tracking tone arm means they are good at ripping up 33/45 discs in an unwanted way , maybe 78s are more tolerant of them. |
| 16th Mar 2014, 12:01 AM | #20 REPORT | |
| mojofilter Member since Jul 2012 1434 Points | Last month, I bought a Stanton T.92 turntable, a direct drive TT with quartz lock which plays 78s. It has standard analog outputs (which I use), but also has an internal preamp with line level output, will connect to your computer via USB or to a SPDIF (coaxial digital) input. I bought a few spare headshells, and have installed in one a Stanton 500AL cartridge with D5127 78 stylus, and have spent quite a bit of time transferring 78s to the computer, and restoring them in Adobe Audition 3. The results have been stellar. So you could use any cartridge with any type of 78 styli of different sizes for different groove widths. The turntable lists at $455 US, but can be bought for $300. I believe they also make an international version for 50 Hz/220 V. |
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