9.1 - How can I play old 78s?
Description
This article is from the Audio Professional FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Gabe M. Wiener others.
9.1 - How can I play old 78s?
First rule of thumb: DO NOT PLAY THEM WITH AN LP STYLUS!
The grooves on 78s are gigantic compared to the microgroove LPs.
As a result, specialized styli are needed for proper playback of 78s.
Also, the RIAA equalization curve normally used for LPs has no
relation to the frequencies that were equalized on 78 recordings.
The easiest stylus to obtain is the Shure V15 with the 78 pickup. This
is a good, though not great, 78 stylus and will do an okay job at playing
most discs.
The serious 78 collector will want to obtain not only a collection of
78 styli for the various discs in their collection (groove sizes varied,
and most serious collectors own a handful of styli), but also a preamp
with variable equalization curves. One supplier of all this apparatus
is Audio-78 Archival Supplies at (415) 457-7878. [Gabe]
Continue to:
My Books
