A recent, and somewhat underrated discussion on the 78-L list, focussed on stylus size for playing various types of 78 rpm records including acoustic, electric, vertical, transcription etc.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a clearly organised discussion – as most discussions on the list unfortunately are – due to its email format -but after many emails, the truth of the matter seemed to suggest that stylus size is important for various types of recording playback.
Personally, I have always relied on the esoteric sound website for advice on stylus use which I have reproduced and accredited below:
- 2.0 mil – worn LPs, some AFRS transcriptions
- 2.5 – 2.5 mil – many 78’s, transcriptions
- 3 – 3.0 mil – most 30’s-50’s slightly worn 78s & transcriptions, Edison discs
- 3.5 – 3.5 mil – old or worn 78s, transcriptions
- 4.0 mil – very old or worn discs, raw aluminium, RCA home
[From: http://www.esotericsound.com/CartStyli.htm]
One member of the list questioned whether the use of a 3.0 mil standard stylus was appropriate for general use on all 78s. The member also added that they used a slightly smaller size, 2.7 mil stylus on another headshell set up for vertical discs.
For the most part the 3.0 mil stylus worked fine for their daily needs.
However, the member recently acquired the recording: Gennett 6006, “Big Boy” George Owens. While the disc was a bit worn the member had discs look a lot worse than this and play much better.
So I was wondering if it’s a groove size/stylus size mismatch. I changed my 2.7 mil stylus back to play lateral and it sounds markedly better, but now wondering how much better could it get? This is my first Gennett Electrobeam record. Any advice on stylus size which works best for these? It’s time I started to expand my range of available styli anyway.
Another member of the list suggested:
Your 2.7 mil stylus may be hitting a less worn part of the groove. And a larger tip might be a lot of help. I had to use a 4-mil stylus to play several mid 30s Deccas not long ago. Nothing to do with wear, they just wouldn’t track properly with anything smaller including my trusty 2.0 mil TE.
The original poster responded:
So is it possible that it could sound better both above and below 3 mils? I was thinking that since it sounded better on 2.7 it would be in that direction.
The 2.5 is still the best thing for playing transcription discs and it works fine on Edisons. The Stanton 2.0 Truncated Elliptical is a great one as well. Their 2.8 is good on more difficult discs.
And another poster suggested some great advice with:
I lucked out on getting some of the Expert (Stanton fitting) custom styli in a collection I bought last Spring. There was a 3.8 which is wonderful for both 1920s Victor electrics and almost and UK pressing famous for “crackle”. It’s also very useful for lots of earlier acoustics (Grand Prizes, Monarchs, some Columbias, etc.) The 2.5 is great for transcriptions and most Edisons. Sometimes a 1.0 mil works even better on them, though, and others even do well with the 3.8. I’ve always said you really roll the dice when you lay an Edison on the turntable for a transfer.
Another member posted some fantastic information regarding playback stylus size with record makes – and I am reproducing this information in the hope it will help novices who are just starting out with collecting 78 rpm records. I have also posted the contact information of the company that supplied the information below:
LABEL TYPES AND/PERIODS
00.18″
Useful for some acoustic Richmond Gennett recordings: Some early aluminium and acetate transcription discs.
0.0020″
Extremely useful for the majority of acoustic Richmond Gennetts. Strangely, the Wolverine Orchestra’s Fidgety Feet/Jazz Me Blues like a whopping 0.0035″ Also a number of acoustic OKeh ‘field’ recordings (e.g. the 1923 King Oliver OKehs) like this size.
0.0024/5″
Very useful for acoustic, ‘Truetone’ and some electric OKehs, pre-1920 Victors, most post-war records. Many Paramount 12700 series. English Columbias 1925-26 mainly prefer this size.
0.0028″
Post 1922 acoustic and electric Columbias, most electric OKehs, acoustic and early electric Paramounts, Gennett (acoustic and electric New York recordings and electric Richmond recordings), Brunswick/ARC (acoustic and electrical), US Decca, Victor 1921-25, most Plaza group acoustics, pre-1931 Parlophone, Black Swan, Cameo, Pathé/Perfect lateral recordings. A good starting size to work up or down from.
0.0032″
Useful for some Brunswick/Vocalion electrics, post-EMI merger English Columbia/HMV/Parlophones, Columbia acoustics to 1922, some early US
Columbia electrics, also some later Columbia electrics where the master has been heavily polished or high numbered stampers have been used. Autograph, some Paramount 12800s (though these vary enormously – up to 0.004″!)
0.0035″
Most Victor Electrics post 1926, some very early Victors (1901-06), Acoustic Vocalion, HMV/Zonophone 1925-31, most QRS, Plaza group electrics, Edison Diamond Discs, most Electrobeam Gennett post-6400 issues.
0.004″
Early electric Victors (1925/6). One notable anomaly is the October 1927 Brunswick session by Johnny Dodds’ Black Bottom Stompers, where the cutter was particularly blunt and all the sides from the session need a 0.004″ stylus.
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