Wilcox Gay Turntable issue/Stylus substitutions

[aeallen1997]

Hello all,

Some time ago I posted about a Wilcox Gay recordio (I know, not the best machine, but it’s fun) and I did get it working well enough to make a few satisfactory recordings. However, lately there’s been a high pitch noise/ dog whistle (very reminiscent of the dog whistle in some of those ‘20s Victor sides, only louder and through the whole side.

I think I’ve narrowed down the issue to the turntable and more specifically, the rubber wheel underneath it that is the (for lack of a better word) gear that goes between the motor and the turntable platter. It seems to be slightly mis-shapen or deformed in some way that it affects the spin of the platter above. (Photo in attachments.)

The platter takes a slight “dip” in one area during each revolution, and I think the up and down motion is creating extra friction between the stylus and the disc, and the noise as a result.

Anyone ever experience a problem like this before, and was able to fix it? Maybe some substitute for the rubber wheel is out there?

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I’ll also take the opportunity to ask about styli. Been using the steel ones you can get off eBay with varying and frustratingly unpredictable results. I’m sure any NOS Wilcox Gay styluses of a higher quality are impossible to find; are there other kinds of styluses that can work in this unit? Open to trying anything.

Thanks, all!

[aeallen1997]

By the way, forgot to mention — my unit is the Recordio 6B10.