[mresseguie]

Has anyone got a TT capable of playing 78s? Are 78s good, bad, wonderful sounding?

I may have stumbled onto a collection of 78s. I'm still working out the details.

Michael

[S Clark]

Michael,
I've got a broadcast TT that can handle 78's, and I bought a 78 stylus for an old Empire 500 cartridge.  I don't pull it out often (it's been stored for a year or more, but it should work). 
See  https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=106532.msg1090845#msg1090845

Now, do they sound good or are they worth the trouble... that depends.  Some sound surprisingly decent, other are horrible.  My experience is that it's hard to tell by looking at the shellac, but my experience is limited.  I've got some Louis Armstrong that sounds fine.  Then I've got some Sidney Bechet that are disappointing.  All look the same. 

Scott

[mresseguie]

Scott,

Thanks!

The <very> nice thing about this find is that the guy is giving them away. That could mean they're garbage or it could mean he inherited them from a deceased relative. I'll pump him for details.

Michael

[S Clark]

You can clean them with soapy water, but no alcohol- on the records, that is.   

[S Clark]

BTW, 78 playback is a bit of a rabbit hole.  Not all were cut at exactly 78, not all were cut with the same size cutting stylus, RCA grooves are different from Odeon, etc.  I only have a dozen or so, and they all get the same treatment.
But it can be fun.  Check out Sidney Bechet's "Muskrat Ramble".  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok6XlvZqvAI

[Doublej]

If you want to get a sense for what 78s can sound like head over here:

https://archive.org/details/78rpm_clark-johnsen

[FullRangeMan]

There is a related article here:
http://www.glowinthedarkaudio.com/victrola.html

[Scott F.]

I agree with Scott, 78s are spotty when it comes to fidelity. On the flip side, when you (or should I say 'I') listen to them, I'm not concerned with fidelity. I'm listening for the historic nature of them. Some artists and versions of songs will likely, never make it to vinyl or digital. Most of the 78s I have have pretty decent fidelity. Some are surprisingly good but you need a decent reproduction system to play them back.

Here's a pick of my 78 system



I've swapped out the old Stromberg Carlson amp for a HH Scott 99 (mono). The speaker is an Altec 824 and the table is a simple Dual 1019 with a Shure M78. Your amp needs to be able to EQ the various cuttings over the years. Back then, there were no standards so Columbia cut grooves with one EQ setting, Decca and others used something different and so on.

78's are a blast. Over the weekend, my brother and cousin were over and we spent a good part of the afternoon listening to old blues, jazz and pop music of the time. They are constantly amazed that 78s can sound so good.