Answering Tom Fine's request for info about purchasing bamboo needles :
Here is one source for new ones :
http://www.soundsofold.com/
Also I find it difficult to imagine that the friction generated by
playing
a 78 rpm record with a Victor Exhibition soundbox (or similar) and a
bamboo needle would generate enough heat and pressure to burn the fiber material
into the groove.
I've have over 36 years experience as a mastering engineer looking at
record grooves with a microscope and IMO the fiber played grooves look just
fine and do not show any sign of contamination from organic material burned
or abraded into the groove . As a matter of fact they look better than the
grooves on identical records that were undoubtedly played with steel needles
. These bamboo played records also play excellently with a proper stylus
in a modern magnetic pick up .
BTW , I am speaking of bamboo needles exclusively and not include or
recommend cactus needles .
John Eberle
AMERICANA CD MASTERING
313 EAST COLLEGE STREET SUITE 3A
DICKSON , TENNESSEE 37055
615-441-4660
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