h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

More of a 'where can I' than 'how do I', but I hope someone can help me out. Basically we were clearing out our roofspace and I found my mum's old record player and a bunch of LPs. I set it all up and it still works, except the needle broke off when I tried to set it down. So I was hoping someone here could let me know if needles are still fairly easy to come by, and where a likely place to get one would be. Also, I don't know if they're a kind of one-size-fits-all thing, or if there's different sizes or brands. If it helps, it's a Philips record player, and the needle is about 12mm long.
Thanks to anyone who can help me.

There *are* different types of stylus and head. It has been a long time since I last bought some though (and they aren't in this building).

Sounds like a hifi shop job, you will need to take or the name of the catridge the needle came from, it is the small box like thing the needle is pushed into.

OK, thanks! It says 22 GP204 AH CP on the cartridge. I've no idea what that means, but there's a replacement GP204 needle going on eBay, so I wonder if it would work. Apart from that, there's a music shop quite near me; it mostly does instruments, but they might have them, so I'll check next time I'm round there.

Well it seems a Phillips GP204 replacement needle does exist, so if one is being sold then go for it by the sound of it.

BP, is it on Buy it Now, or in the auction itself? Either way, (unless, the deadline is *very* soon) I'd email the seller for more info.

It's on Buy It Now as far as I can remember. I think I'd probably be best asking them more about it, because (as is probably fairly obvious) I don't really have a clue about record players (before my time ), and I would hate to buy it and it not work.

Me neither, I haven't used one in years. I used to take the old one with me and ask for a replacement.

Oddly, I do have one of those old fangled thingies in my spare room. It, too, needs a new stylus. Tell me how you get on. (I have loads of old 12" malarkies I would like to hear again - as they're meant to be - scratched and scuffed )

When these needles are no longer available it would be a crying shame for someone or two to have a record collection that is now useless due to the fact a small needle is no longer available.
Since films at the local cinema produce sound by having an optical slit and a sound trackp plus a photo electric cell the same cannot be applied to wax records since they are, " Not see through"
However there is a way to recover all those old memories if one makes a small device that can be fitted to the head in front of the needle because the needle would still move the head to read the track or groove.
But the true signal would come from " A record reader" and not the now worn needle.
A very tiny box could be clipped at the end of the existing sound arm and aligned so it could also read the same groove as the now blunt needle.
The box would contain a tiny light and a tiny photo electric cell.
A pin point of light would bounce off the groove in the record and would be read through an optical slit which could be read by the photo electric cell which in turn would pass on the signal to the amplifier.
Needles to say, "One don't not need needles no moor nivver ivver !":0)
Oh and by the way the two wires that are on the old needle cartridge can be used to grab the signals from the P.E.C. and another pair of wires to go to the tiny light in the new head.
The end product is " A pinpoint of light is distorted by the grooves and the resulting now distorted light bounces through the optical slit and onto the P.E.C. and two more fine wires from that go to the sound amplifier. Good luck Y'all :0)

I usually buy my replacement needles from KAB. They do international- no idea what shipping rates are like, though. Might not hurt to check them out?

http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/index.htm