Where to have an old record played?

What size is the record? If you have tried 45 & 33 1/3 rpm and they didn't work, then it's likely 78. There are turntables around that still play that speed, but I don't have one.

It's likely that nothing can improve the quality, depends on the original quality and it's handling over the years, but you can certainly try cleaning it. There are commercial cleaning fluids available. Search the web and there are DIY cleaning instructions, usually using water, a drop of detergent and sometimes a small amount of alcohol.
If you're in BR, go to Capitol City Records, 4641 Perkins Road. The owner there might be able to help you clean the record and may have a turntable in-house that would play it too.

If you can get it to play and record a copy to a computer, then you can use Audacity or some other program to try and clean up some of the pops, click and surface noise.

Where in LA are you located?

I can also find someone in the audio club that is in BR that has a 78rpm rig

99% chance these are going to be paper core discs. Slight chance they could be aluminum, but most of the ones that came from the Army were paper. I've digitized a few over the years. It's kind of a crapshoot as far as what kind of quality you'll get out of them. I've had to deal with some that were recorded with way too low of a signal going to the cutting head - ends up mostly being surface noise. Others skip like crazy because the thread that would come out as they were being cut would get tangled in the cutting head.


Welcome to pm me. As Marco said, you definitely don't want to play these with a standard needle. I've got one of the Ortofon ones he mentioned. Also, make sure to not make an attempt at cleaning it with any sort of liquid before you know exactly what kind of material you are dealing with.

A couple of things. First, try and find a laser to play it instead of a needle player because it may fall apart or ruin it in just one playing. Either way, record it on that first playing!

Next, the off-speed. You can use a sound program, like "audacity" which is free shareware to adjust the speed to perfect! You will hear his voice!! I've done this with records before from old recording units.

Again, if you do use a needle, Record it! Then, you don't have to keep playing it.

Next, download and use audacity or another sound program to adjust the speed until you hear it played at the speed recorded. This is not out of the ordinary: A lot of those old players were off-speed.

Yeah thats what Im afraid of, when someone goes to play it that it will get ruined without hearing anything. Did not realize they could use a laser to play it but I'm gonna ask around here and see if anyone has one to try. Thanks.