Meissner...

[woozy1386]

Hi, my first post here, regarding what may be my first purchase of a record cutting device.. Since becoming aware of people home-cutting records I've been scouting craigslist and ebay for something reasonably priced that could get me started...

So I'm currently bidding on a Meissner "portable" unit that needs a little work (supposedly the turntable doesn't spin) and I'm assuming I'll face other investments to get it going.

I did already do a search - and have come to the conclusion I'll have to pickup a book and a manual, and that I'll have to probably purchase a new needle.. and convert a mic input to a 1/4" so I can ideally run from the output of my 4 track?

Seems like most people had decent things to say about these units- but ... noone else is bidding on this one in particular and I started to wonder if maybe I should've done more research prior... (I just felt I couldn't wait anymore! I want to start making records!!!)

Hmm.. I started this thinking I had a question and perhaps I lost sight of it.. I guess my question is... am I on the right track here? Plunging in is a great way to get into something but .. i feel like I'm overlooking something..

[piaptk]

Nobody will bid on it until the last 3 seconds.

I've never had a meissner, but all those home lathes are of mediocre quality. So don't expect to cut your own vinyl masters on it. If you want rough sounding picnic plates or something, they will be ok. WIll definitely be a good starting point to decide if you actually want to get into serious cutting. I had an old GI suitcase as my first cutter. Got excited over the slightly decent result (despite a lot of trial/error/repair) and upgraded a year later to a Presto 6N.

Depending on how much it goes for, youmight be better off buyying a refurbed one from west-techservices.com. Gib sells them for about $400.

[woozy1386]

Wow, that really might be a better way to go.. guess I'll have to see how the auction plays out... but yeah something fully functional for just a little more $ is pretty appealing.. and there looks to be many options so I guess I'll have to get back to researching models--
or maybe I'll just shoot them an email and tell them what I'm looking to do and see what guidance and wisdom they share.

I mean, I figured I'm not going to achieve anything hifi, I'm just trying to get my foot in the door or whatever and make some halfway decent small runs of home recordings / projects. It'd be really exciting to hear music I've made on a record I've cut myself. ((I also would LOVE to make records of some friends' projects and surprise them with their music on vinyl..))

but yes, thanks for the link!!

[piaptk]

I wasted a year or two buying crappy "as-is" lathes on ebay, which are total wastes of time unless you are really handy with electronics (I'm not) before I finally just bought one from Gib. Then I quickly upgraded.

I'd almost recommend buying a 6N if you are absolutely sure you have the patience for the hobby. The 6N is a TOTALLY different animal compared to a home lathe. You can get good sounding cuts, and have a lot more options and flexibility. You can probably find one in working order for around $1500 with everything you need to get started (head, feedscrew, etc). Less if you buy an "as-is" machine on ebay, or luck into someone who has one and doesn't use it or care about it (junkstore type of find). These don't have amplifiers and are easier to fix up yourself.

[ArchaicRecords]

I have one of these Meissner units that is in serious disrepair - the turntable does not spin, the cutter head is trashed (the crystal breaks down over time, so virtually none of these work if they've sat gathering dust for years), and other electrical components are shot. Virtually all of the ones I have seen on ebay have serious problems which will require someone like Gib at West Tech to repair.

[ArchaicRecords]

A friend did some research on the company that manufactured the Meissner cutter... the factory apparently was shut down (ca. 1960s) after a lawsuit involving an employee.

[Techie]

Hi,
I have a Meissner that Gib restored for me. It works great, and with realistic expectations, I'm very happy with it. It's not hi-fi by a long shot, It records clearly but with limited frequency range. The crystal cutter seems fine for music of yesteryear, but not appropriate for modern club or dance music of today.
For the price, and considering what it is, I'm having a lot of fun with it. Also, my knowledge is limited so this is an easy one to adjust and get running properly.
Hope one can help when I move on to something more challenging.
Thanks!

[ArchaicRecords]

I just got my repaired Meissner back from Gib. The repair took some time and effort (along with figuring out an appropriate payment method), but was worth it. Gib added a modern phono plug, so it's possible to hook in any modern audio device. I'm not sure how much longer he'll be repairing these.