Can you identify this cutter head? Any info on it?

[djlithium]

Hi.
I am still trying to identify the exact make and model of this cutter head.

If you can identify it please let me know what make it is and any spec's you might be aware of. I have determined that it is "working" by running signal through it although incredibly low power and the cap ends are are magnetized. so its at least partially in decent shape.


Thanks in advance for any info you can provide. Sorry for the extreme resolution here.

[Simon]

Hi there

This is the same head that has been posted on here before.

And the same question was asked.

[djlithium]

Thats a really useful reply simon. Thanks.

[Simon]

Well that is all I know about the head

Presto made a stereo head for 8d - but I am not sure what it looks like.

I do not think it is a Neumann even though the mount look like the mono head mount for a 56 I think.

[djlithium]

I took it apart this evening, and check out the coils. It seems relatively intact on both sides but its old.
The copper wire is stained I guess is the only word for it. Not sure how hard it would be to rewind it.
It's a very simple design really, putting it back together went really smooth. the rubber "bushings" I guess are intact and still in really good condition.
I'll wait until a few others check it out and see if someone can identify it.
I should have kept the last rekocut lathe arm from the one that got destroyed. I could have at least rigged it to that.
Sigh....

[Cutterwoller]

Hmm, never seen this head before. Its not the Presto stereo head, I have a picture of that. It looks like to me some sort of Western Electric (Westrex) prototype. I say that because it looks kind of similar to the westrex 2B head (even though thats mono). Not sure tho? Where did you find it? Tell us if you find out what it is.

Regards, Lewis

[djlithium]

I got it from this guy on ebay.
Kind of disappointed really.
I can't make any use of it if I can't figure out what model it is and what its spec's are really.
It's really well built that's for sure.

Anyone interested on taking it off my hands for cheap and doing a re-wind on it?

[cuttercollector]

Hmm.... Are you sure it is stereo?
It might just be "push-pull" coils lateral mono?
Just guessing, but the coils don't look like they are vert./lat. like the Fairchild or 45 /45 like everything else stereo.

PM or email me with "how cheap"

[cd4cutter]

Looks like a Westrex mono cutter to me. Maybe a 2A or 2B. Definitely a professional cutter.

[Cutterwoller]

Nah, its definatly not a 2A or 2B, looks like WE tho.

[djlithium]

I am starting to lean towards it being a westrex. A friend here who I showed it to says the metal "bumpy" texture on the sides of the "drivers" I guess you can say they are... is typical of westrex material from a certain era of there production but its usually grey. He couldn't offer me any more input than that as he just deals mostly with reel to reel and ancient broadcast gear.

[cuttercollector]

The 2 people I know who may or may not be part of this forum directly, who would know about prototype and other more obscure Westrex and related models are Len Horowitz at HRS records in LA
http://www.hrsrecords.com
and Barry Brose of Highland Laboratories in San Francisco http://www.highlandlab.com/

[flozki]

definitely not a westrex.

if it would be be a first westrex prototype stereo prototype, then this is a little historical treasure.. then this means its the first westrex stereo head.... but i dont think so.
i saw the remaining stock, parts,leftover from westrex, and there where no such parts.
also the first stereo westrex was using very similar parts from the mono head. so no westrex.
also westrex built feedback heads only. and i think this head does not have feedback.

could be presto, i had in mind they made 2 stereo heads. one looks definitely different. maybe lewis can load up the picture he has.


and haeco had also 2 stereo heads. haeco sc-1 and haeco sc-2
sc-2 is similar to the westrex. you can see a picture on the aardvark website:

http://www.aardvarkmastering.com/haecwest.jpg


so maybe haeco sc-1.

[Cutterwoller]

I'v seen both the Haeco heads (SC1 and SC2) and I'm 90% sure its none of them. If I get time i'll stick up the picture of the stereo Presto head, it looks sort of like the SX74.

L

[djlithium]

Well its def. not a European head. Still leaning towards Westrex, perhaps maybe a prototype Scully head?

Never know...

[cuttercollector]

I still fail to see how it could be stereo instead of mono feedback.
It looks as if it has 2 coils that are directly opposite one another on either side of the stylus. How is that going to give you stereo without translating the coil movements to 45/45 by some hidden clever internal linkage.
Djlithium, you are the only one who has seen it apart, is it like that or do the coils just act on either side of the stylus block directly?
If that is the case, and there are 2 coils and magnetic gaps, I would think it works more like a Westrex 2B mono feedback cutter.

I have only seen 3 layouts for stereo cutters.
1. 45/45 coils like Westrex, Neumann, the Presto one, SC99, even Vestax and home built with speaker elements.
2. rocking bridge like Ortofon
3. vertical/lateral like the Fairchild

The basic coil and magnet positions on this are not like any of the above unless I am completly looking at the pictures wrong.

[djlithium]

Well whatever... I still need to know what head this is.
Mono or stereo. I can't find any info on it.