Why do 78rpm Records sound so Bad?

It's easy to explain... in the '70s, there were still folks alive who had bought 78s when they were still new, and might still want to play them. Today that generation is mostly gone, and the few that are still alive probably don't play records. Today 78 collectors are totally a niche sub-set of the record-collecting community.

 

I wonder about that. Most of the videos I see playing 78s are the Audio Technica turntables, and he sound pretty stable when I watch them. The Audio Technica LP-120 is really a DJ turntable, is plenty sturdy, I dont know why it wouldnt be stable at any speed.

 

Another thing other than the age of 78's I guess is the quality of the recordings to begin with. A lot of the old Blues artists recorded in outdoor areas at their home with their own equipment. Country and Pop artists recorded in studio later on but still didn't use the best equipment. Really the only great sounding pieces you'll hear (few exceptions) that are pre 1950 is classical music. Producers of that genre really emphasized on sound quality giving the first really high fidelity sound of its time. It wasn't till the mid 60's when sound quality for pop and rock recordings started to sound just as good finally when they figured out how to record those two genres or simply started caring. 78's really shine with classical music. Just my opinion on the matter. Still, your 78 has probably seen better days making it sound even worse.

 

The SP-15 is my solution along with an Audio Technica ATP-12T arm and a variety of carts set up with 78-type needles. I have a few more tables that do 78 as well, but haven't used them for the purpose yet. The relatively wide range of speed adjustment and incredible stability of the SP-15 make it a good choice IMO.

A question: how do other folks go about cleaning 78s?

 

Big fan of 78s, and not just for the sound quality (though I have a few that are stunners). They're just fun.

A few clips can be found on my occasional blog: http://scratchy78s.blogspot.com/

 

You got me on the hunt for that 78! No videos on Youtube and no where on eBay. I'll try my local record store, they always have weird and obscure stuff.

 

I posted this in another thread a few years back.

78s can sound very good.

 

Wow, aged like a fine wine!

 

Wide groove needles are essential for 78s simply because the grooves are much wider, having been originally designed for play with steel needles. It has nothing to do with the roughness of shellac. A wide groove needle will track higher in the groove, finding the sweet spot where the musical information is best-defined within the cut of the groove. A microgroove needle will run at the bottom of the 78 groove...and while it will pick up some of the musical information, it will sound very noisy in the process. The bottom of the groove is usually gunked up with dirt and debris after 80 years, as well.

 

We use the Nitty Gritty Pure 1 fluid and our (fully manual) Nitty Gritty Record Master or, for really grimy 78s, mild detergent under a slight stream of warm water from the tap. (And careful not to get those labels wet!)

 

Imagine hearing that on youtube HD sound!

 

that is totally awesome!!

 

I've often wondered what the EMI folks were thinking when they did those masters. Even as a kid at the time the quality drove me batty. On the other hand I have a few German 78s of folk material done around the same time as that Dixieland recording that are even better. Some of those oompa band records are astounding, right down to a very real sense of spatial information and the rest. I'm amazed at how convincing good mono played back as it was meant to be can come across.

 

When those Sun (and other rock'n'roll) singles were available on 45 & 78 , were the 78s being pressed on vinyl?

 

Ouch!

 

In what regards, Steve? Dynamics, transients? Thanks.

 

Not that I'm aware of. I have Sun 78s right up until the end of when they pressed them and they are on shellac.

There were some reproduction 78s made later in the 70s (for the five Elvis singles, at least) that were pressed on vinyl.

 

I have an MGM Hank Williams 78 that is pressed on "Metrolite". Definitely does not have a shellac feel to it.

The label even states "non-breakable":

 

Perhaps the Beatles should have recorded in Germany. That's where they got their break after all.

 

Do you think it was Abbey Road's gear that wasn't capable, or just how it was used on the Beatles' records?

 

I always read that the Beatles were under served by abbey rd-any number of studios in L.A. at the time would have been much better.