Turntable for 16-inch record

[skimmer]

Anyone have an idea where I might find a turntable that can play a 16-inch
diameter record?
These records were used for commercials in the 40s-50s.
We have one record on which my wife's father recorded a commercial for Cal
Farley's auto service station.
We would like to convert it to CD.
(Cal Farley created the Boy's Ranch in Texas.
http://www.calfarleysboysranch.org/ )
I have found many websites that advertise turntables, but never say how
big - must be standard 12" LP.
I am going to ask some of them, but the real pro's seem to be here on this
NG.

Skimmer

 

[Galen]

In skimmer <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Anyone have an idea where I might find a turntable that can play a
16-inch diameter record?
These records were used for commercials in the 40s-50s.
We have one record on which my wife's father recorded a commercial
for Cal Farley's auto service station.
We would like to convert it to CD.
(Cal Farley created the Boy's Ranch in Texas.
http://www.calfarleysboysranch.org/ )
I have found many websites that advertise turntables, but never say
how big - must be standard 12" LP.
I am going to ask some of them, but the real pro's seem to be here on
this NG.

Skimmer

I don't KNOW anyone with one for certain. This guy should be able to do it
FOR you though:

http://www.videointerchange.com/vintage_78s.htm

The cost that they'll charge you is less than you can expect to pay for the
table. Simply put, you're not going to buy one. If you do you probably still
won't be able to record at the quality you want. I went ahead and called the
above people (very inexpensive call for me so it's not an issue, heck we're
almost neighbors in a strange sort of way) and what you have is called a
transcription disk or a transcription record. Before use you want to ensure
you clean it or have it professionally cleaned. From what I understand (and
this is just mostly me relaying the information and from what I have read
and just did read on the site) failure to do this properly can result in
seriously damaging the record. A single re-master and cleaning will surely
be less than the cost of aquiring the thousands of dollars you might spend
to do this on your own and due to the lack of standards at that point in
time it seems likely that you may have a non-standard RPM as well.

Basically, you can't go out to RadioShack and do this. According to the
gentleman on the phone he's one of a handfull of people in the world who's
able to do this sort of stuff. (He does a lot more than just copy records
from the sounds of things.) So, give him a call if you want, the number's on
his site as well as an address.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[skimmer]

Galen,

Thanks for the tip. I will use videointerchange.
Turns out to be much, much cheaper than buying the turntable.

Skimmer

 

[Galen]

In skimmer <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Galen,

Thanks for the tip. I will use videointerchange.
Turns out to be much, much cheaper than buying the turntable.

Skimmer

<snip>

No problem. Tell him some weird guy named Galen sent you. <g> He seems to be
a nice enough person and VERY knowledgeable.

Galen
--

"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world
without them."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Guest]

Good luck Skimmer
16' records were used on a Commercial Basis for radio Stations and also
for Dictation. It wasn't used on a HiFi system, for Radio was AM and very
monophonic. I believe that the speed was 16 rpm as well. But even if you do
find an Old player, it probably won't have any Audio Outputs and if they do
they probably won't be the 15uV needed for a Mag Cratridge or 150 MV for a
ceramic or Crystal. One thing you may try doing. If you know someone with
TWO turntables (DJs) you could put the record on one and becuse it will be
too close to the Tonearm, you need to use the other turntable and place it
beside and backwards to he turntable holding the Record (make sure that the
direction of the record is advancing from the rear of the Tonearm, becuase
the needle is usually mounted at an angle facing towards the front of the
tonearm and going against it may snap it off .
So now you are using the tonearm from one turntable and the platter from
the other. This will work only if the RPM is NOT 16rpm but 33 1/3 or 78 or
45.
Try going on Ebay and seeing if you can scarf one up from there But you
will still need Audio outputs that match todays equipment.