nickel on needle?

  • Thread starter Thread starter deeptranc_23
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deeptranc_23

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is this helpful? i seen some peeps do this just curious to what effects it has
 
bad idea. All it is suppose to do is increase the mass of the cart making it more stable for scratching. It also wears out the stylus and vinyl much faster.
 
Geez I heard a penny but a whole friggin nickel? I'm taking a complete guess but that sounds like 8 grams (after you max out your counterweight) thats insane.

I never did it, never had to.
 
Never found a need for the extra weight myself, but there's potentially the argument (which I'm more than happy for someone here to disprove!) that the location of additional weight directly above the needle improves tracking stability (overall tracking weight can always be reduced back down to a 'sane' level by winding the counter-weight further back!)

Technics themselves seem to at least honour the concept (albeit maybe just to suit customer demand?) by shipping headshells with a screw-in 4g weight on the later decks - at least on my M3D's anyway!
 
I dont even see how id put it on top of the neddle.I heard this before(with a penny) but never seen it myself.so would i have to strap it down with a piece of string or something?Id be willing to try it and test it out.Might cost me a stylus and a record but itll set sh*t strait
 
A bit of Blu-Tack's the usual solution for attaching the coin - whenever I've seen this done it's been on a mate's decks wear he's done a really bad job (by not reading the instructions!) of fixing the cart to the headshell, hence the tracking problems!.. Sticky tape does the job just as well, if you want your setup to look like a complete disaster!

I really see it as a last resort - it won't knacker your stylus or record in one take, it will just seriously reduce their lifetime!.. The point to me is that if you're playing out on someone elses poorly set-up equipment than it's probably better to put up with extra record wear than play a sh-t set with the needle skipping constantly and never get a gig again!.. If you're having tracking problems at home, it's far better to check that everything's set to the stylus manufacturer's recommendations than just pile loads of weight onto the end of the needle!
 
If you dont mind wasting a needle by trying it out, why dont you by a good needle that you wont have to do it for and save yourself the trouble.

Id feel better by putting it on the counterweight but I dunno if that would work.

What kind of needles and tables do you have?
 
i would agree with some here that adding extra weight onto your cartridge is really unnecessary. in 7 years, i have never found any reason to do this - for mixing, scratching, juggling - whatever. seems useless to me. . .
 
Well im looking to upgrade to some shure's pretty soon so i dont mind messing around with it....i actually found a way to fit the penny on there without any tape or string.I just put it where u connect the cartridge to the headshell the back of the cartridge and the wires hold the penny in place and holds it in pretty good.I tried scratching on it and it actually works.I agree its not good for the neddle or the records but it does work.I tried it on one of my old neddles a stanton 500 2 and i gotta say it didnt skip once.I also scratched a little more rugged to really test it out and it stayed in place.
 
the only time i've ever seen this done was outside once when the wind was blowing EXTREMELY HARD, and that was just to keep the tonearms from flying around.
Josh
 
hmmm, try putting the spindle adaptor on there and see how that works out to. ;)

457328.jpg
 
A nickel? Fool needs to get some Shure M44-7's, they don't jump around. Also if they are using a decent turntable they should not have to do this. It will ruin your records.
 
You Blokes are too young to know
but.....


The nickel on the needle concept
came from the days when scratching
was just begining. Seeing that it
started from the ghetto, the DJs
couldn't afford Technics 1200s.

So, they made with what they had.
Their mothers phonograph (Turntable)

Seeing that these were not designed
for this type of function (Scratching)

The tone arm was very light. So,
to increase the weight, some would
use a penny, nickel, even a quarter!

The Phonographs used resemble these..

http://www.amstarrealty.com/graphics/03turncp.jpg
Cheers.
 
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