The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

Microtouch · Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Lancaster Co. Pa.

Greetings, I am a new member this day 09-21-07 and I found this site while perusing the web on the topic. I dabble in phonograph /radio repair and restoration as a hobby and the cutting and making of records always fascinated me. For fun I bought a Berliner acoustical player recorder kit, an educational model, and recorded a few seconds of barely recognizable sounds. Now I have a Wilcox-Gay Recordio with an AM radio. I do not have a model number yet, it's not listed anywhere on the outside, so I'll have to open it up. However it looks quite similar to the pictures posted by Tape in a previous topic. I thought I might cut my teeth on this unit and work my way up from there. Well at least as far as my limited time and means allow. I am glad to know that I am not the only nut out there who is interested in these things. I feel as though I am in good company here. I also belong to Audio Karma and Phonoland, two very good forums. Regards.
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Vinyl is a disease which attacks that area of the brain desiring digital recordings. Once you catch it, you are cured.

OLDLEE · Joined: 12 Nov 2007 Posts: 14 Location: Ontario Canada

This might not be overly helpful, but ....the Wilcox-Gay (Recordette) uses a piezo-electric (Rochelle Salt) cutter head and if you're lucky the crystal will not have turned to dust inside the cutter head, over the last 50 years or so. But if you get no results and can't feel any modulation on the cutting needle (which must be VERY sharp), then the head could be no good. However, all is not lost. The head can be rebuilt using bimorph elements from more modern phono pickups, though the cutting power will not be the same as original.
Good luck.

JayDC · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:01 pm Post subject:

welcome to the forum. look around there is tons of info somewhere around here.

if you head is dead, talk to gib @ westtech. he can rebuild it.

Doug 6N · Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 65 Location: Washington

By all means get ahold of Gib at West-Tech. He does a great job on many of items we need repaired

Doug