crystals for 1940s phonograph cartridges

8/29/2008 8:31:12 PMG.Berg

Hi all..I have posted this topic before and I think a few are confused as to what I am looking for. When restoring a 1940s-50s phonograph catridge I need a moder-day crystal to replace the old. I am aware I can get a donor cartridge and use crystal.AND am aware of how to restore old cartridges....but I am looking for a supplier. Services that restore old cartridges have a supplier (they won't tell me where they get their supply) So..I am hoping someone here may know.
THANKS FOR ANY HELP!!!

8/30/2008 9:35:26 AMMmakazoo

Is anyone still using crystal anymore? My understanding is that the crystal tended to deteriorate within a few years, even sitting on the shelf. I would guess that most people are using ceramic, which seems to last rather indefinitely. Mark from Kalamazoo

8/30/2008 10:08:09 AM

you would think after posting this several times he would realize that. i bet the people that charge to rebuild them are using donor cartridges.

:Is anyone still using crystal anymore? My understanding is that the crystal tended to deteriorate within a few years, even sitting on the shelf. I would guess that most people are using ceramic, which seems to last rather indefinitely. Mark from Kalamazoo

8/30/2008 12:36:21 PMEdd

DEFINITELY . . . using ceramic elements.

And what better unit to use than drilling out the brass / alum rivet(s) of a unit removed from the tone arm of a childs
record player. Splitting apart the plastic clamshells of the cartridge casing and there is then one element available.. . .or
two, if stereo.

Back in the ‘70’s there was one lot of those childs record players and the Show and Tell players made. What would happen
is that the little denizens would either crash / bend /loose the needle proper or even snap off the tone arm.

The speedy repair procedure on worst cases would be to replace the tone arm en masse, with all new components then
being present. . . .BUT. . . .you store the old arms for parts, in case of a future repair unit is needing only the minimum of
parts.

That’s was my sourcing of elements until I finally ran out about a year ago.

Find some old, long standing repair / electronics supplier place and there might still be some of those new arm units still
blister packed and hanging on the wall.. . .NOS.

Lastly, if I was wanting to replace / modify one of of those bulky old 1st generation Astatic style pressed aluminum or
the even more massive, molded units I would take a Dremel tool, with cut off wheel, and cut in a rectangle on the bottom portion and then use
jewelers files to finalize a conformal fit to adapt for the insetting of one of the Power Point type / style of Astatic
ceramic cartridges, utilizing the unitized needle and cartridge element. (Their sizing, being a mere ¾ inch length and a diameter of ¼ inch)

That, considering that I would only be playing 45’s or 33 1/3 rpm records. The cartridge was then slant mounted into
place temporarily with hot glue strips and aligned, then after all is proper, a final tacking in with multi dots of epoxy.

The final procedure then being the modifying of the tone arms counterbalancing and spring mechanics to then modify the
old 5 pounds tracking weight to 5 grams for the new unit.

Illustrations: .

Good Lawd. . .I certainly hope that the "SITE ADMINISTRATOR" doesn't nail me for providing what seems to be
one of the few lower priced sources of replacement ceramic cartridges, there are some for those tone arm types also, but not
down at a '70's $4.95 price level. . . . .if they were even THAT cheap back at that time,? ? ?, as the complete tone arm
inclusive, was a mere $7.50

73's de Edd