[Doug Houston]

The idea of installing a 78-only changer in place of a 256 or 356 can't be called wrong. It's only a solution to having a changer that will play your records. Any of the Webster 56 family of changers is good. While VM changers are commonly used, and are in abundant supply, I just don't like them.

Back around 1950, I wanted a good changer. The big names in the stores were VM, Webster-Chicago, Garrard RC-80, then, all stops out; the Thorens. You only saw Thorens on Scott and RCA Berkshire. I liked the Webster because the change action is smooth and fast. I never liked the V-M because the trigger spindle chews the spindle hole in the records. My 56 changer was replaced with a W-C 356, then I graduated to a Garrard RC-90. After that, I lost track.

From what I know, there are pickup cartridges floating around that would work in a multi-stylus pickup head. I'm thinking of a Sonatone cartridge, for example. In the case of the changer I sent Ron, the head of the pickup arm is small, and something like a Power Point or a Sonatone will fit the head easily. Also, I believe that the Sonatones are ceramic, rather than Rochelle salt crystals. They seem to go on forever, and they sound good. I have one of those Newcomb stereo players, and cartridge in it is a E-V Power Point Stereo. It sounds like a million bucks.

Another advantage of having a stereo pickup, with a 3 mil stylus, is that it will play Edison Diamond disc records. In addition, if you have any 16 inch broadcast transcriptions that are vertical cut, it'll play those, too.

One other item here. The original pickup cartridge that was on the Magnavox 256 changer on the Maggie sets; even the Windsor, wasn't much on frequency response, and the ceramics have it all over them.

You'll find that a lot of the phonographs made after around the mid- fifties had ceramics.