In this age of compact discs and MP3 players, not many young people have seen phonograph needles. In fact, many young people might even question why anyone would need such a thing anymore. However, record aficionados still have and play their vinyl collections.
The first turntables were basic music boxes created in the eighteenth century. They had a disc with raised grooves on the surface which hit strings as the turntable spun. These music boxes did not have a needle, and they played primarily opera and classical music. It was the first time people were able to play music at home without having to actually play the instrument.
Much like the first record players that used vinyl records, these music boxes had to be cranked by hand. The mechanics behind them was very similar to a windup toy one might buy for their children. As electricity became available to the average household, electric record players were introduced. These first electric phonographs were encased in a large piece of furniture.
These were a popular item long before the television set became the centerpiece of the household. People still sat around their radios listening to various entertainment shows such as The Shadow. However, with the availability of vinyl records, housewives could listen to all their favorite music while busying themselves with their household duties.
These days many people have collections of old vinyl records and many of them buy aging record players and fix them up. Most of the parts needed to do so can be found online for these music enthusiasts. The needle connects to a turntable cartridge that is attached to an arm. This arm is placed on the spinning vinyl record.
The needle which one can purchase through online merchants or music stores is frequently made of diamond. However, bone, ivory, and other semi-precious stones have been used in the past. The material must be hard and rigid, and should be very carefully set upon the vinyl record to prevent scratches.
This brings us to a drawback of the vinyl record, scratches. It was very easy to scratch these records because the phonograph needles were so hard. If there was a sudden thud from children running or something large falling, it was not uncommon for the arm to jump off the record and scratch all the way down the record. These scratches would make the record essentially useless. In addition, excessive heat and humidity could ruin and warp the records as well.
The first turntables were basic music boxes created in the eighteenth century. They had a disc with raised grooves on the surface which hit strings as the turntable spun. These music boxes did not have a needle, and they played primarily opera and classical music. It was the first time people were able to play music at home without having to actually play the instrument.
Much like the first record players that used vinyl records, these music boxes had to be cranked by hand. The mechanics behind them was very similar to a windup toy one might buy for their children. As electricity became available to the average household, electric record players were introduced. These first electric phonographs were encased in a large piece of furniture.
These were a popular item long before the television set became the centerpiece of the household. People still sat around their radios listening to various entertainment shows such as The Shadow. However, with the availability of vinyl records, housewives could listen to all their favorite music while busying themselves with their household duties.
These days many people have collections of old vinyl records and many of them buy aging record players and fix them up. Most of the parts needed to do so can be found online for these music enthusiasts. The needle connects to a turntable cartridge that is attached to an arm. This arm is placed on the spinning vinyl record.
The needle which one can purchase through online merchants or music stores is frequently made of diamond. However, bone, ivory, and other semi-precious stones have been used in the past. The material must be hard and rigid, and should be very carefully set upon the vinyl record to prevent scratches.
This brings us to a drawback of the vinyl record, scratches. It was very easy to scratch these records because the phonograph needles were so hard. If there was a sudden thud from children running or something large falling, it was not uncommon for the arm to jump off the record and scratch all the way down the record. These scratches would make the record essentially useless. In addition, excessive heat and humidity could ruin and warp the records as well.
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