[elcid1970]

Steel needles cause wear on the record with each play.

Try to find cactus needles; they wear out quickly but don’t etch the record.

FWIW I have my grandfather’s 1947 Westinghouse radio phonograph; it plays with an unbelievably rich tone (though mono). Some folks swear by vacuum tube amplifiers.

[wally_bert]

I’ll have to check for those, never heard of them.

Thanks!

[wally_bert]

I thought I could hear some grinding despite the playback.

Direct metal on anything soft isn’t good.