This is the GE, VRII (Variable Reluctance) cartridge, once used from the 50's, throught the 80's for the optimum hifi experience. Scroll down to see how we modified a head shell and cartridge for a special application.
This is the Rek-O-Kut tone arm, used in radio broadcasting. The head shell on this tone arm will not exchange with a consumer type head shell.
Get ready. I modified a Rek-O-Kut head shell to accept a GE VRII cartridge, then supplied it with a 3mil stylus for 78 and a 2.5mil stylus for transcripton records. A hole must be drilled in the top of the head shell to allow for the stylus change shaft and red triple play knob. Because the cartridge will mount too deep in the the head shell, lightweight sleeves will be required to lower the cartridge.
Get ready to gather the parts necessary.
1 Rec-O-Kut head shell
1 GE VRII cartridge
1 Triple play knob
1, 3mil stylus
1, 2.5mil stylus
Note: If the head shell is stereo, both negative leads need to be shorted, as well as the positive leads. The GE cartridge is mono.
With exception of the styli, all these parts are obsolete, can be difficult to find and are expensive.
This is a specialized arrangement for special types of records, but the convenience is that it's all in one. The result is surprisingly spectacular. The transcriptions sound as they should and the 78's have superior quality, much better than ever expected. So why use a GE VRII instead of a modern cartridge??? The VRII was specifically designed for 78's, providing a more rigid stylus shaft which accounted for the mass of everything. It is designed to track wide, deep groove records and provide that hifi audio quality.
The triple play knob is the most difficut part to find. As soon as we can arrange an agreement with the company that has them, I will hyperlink the picture to the site. All other parts are available on Ebay. Be patient. They're not always available and are becoming more scarce. Be prepared to pay $$, but you will have a rare, useful item.
