Burmese Colour Needles - FAQs
Can BCNs be used with any gramophone?
Yes, certainly with any decent quality gramophone in good order – but results may be less satisfactory with some
Can BCNs be used with portables?
Yes, but with the same provisos as above. Most portables have shorter tonearms, so other factors such as soundbox condition and dynamic levelling may be of greater importance.
Do BCNs wear records?
Debates have continued since the 1920s, but to all intents and purposes the answer is no. This was certainly the scientific view of the Expert Committee of The Gramophone Magazine in the 1920s and 1930s – amongst others the committee included the great mind of Percy Wilson, who pioneered many aspects of
Other marginal considerations sometimes debated are whether
Can BCNs be used with all 78s?
They are entirely safe with almost all except certain later ones, but there are exceptions and records must be in good condition. See our “Using BCNs” guide for full details.
Do BCNs leave debris, particles or residue in the grooves?
In manufacturing BCNs no additives penetrate to the core, so the sharpened point is lignaceous plant material with absolutely no impurity or impregnation. Conceivably a few tiny particles might be left behind in the groove, but probably only if the tip breaks down.
The problem suggested by this question may apply more to fibre (bamboo) needles – unlike BCNs, the material of these is much more porous and many were doped, hardened or lubricated with materials such as Gum Arabic, oxidising agents, paraffin wax etc.
Advice to serious “beau fibreurs” back in the day was to clean records before and after playing with a brush or velvet pad, and there is probably some merit in this, but perhaps to a degree this was just a means of selling them extra paraphernalia! Not unlike the esoteric world of
We hope to investigate this matter further in due course.
How does frequency response differ between BCNs and steel needles?
Tests have been conducted which show a similar frequency response using EMG and Expert gramophones; however, some users report less treble on some machines. To some extent this may vary between gramophones and/or be a psychological effect resulting from the reduction in surface noise. See below the next FAQ for a video comparison.
Analysing the frequency response of a very timeworn EMG Mk Xb Oversize
Are BCNs quieter than steel needles?
With older machines, possibly; with the best of the late acoustic machines from the top brands, much less so, as the soundbox and horn (or more properly, the air within and beyond it) are much more easily excitable. Of course, this depends on the grade of steel needle under comparison – medium tone being the usual middle ground.
This video illustrates the above two points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qumeeZL54oc – many thanks to our friend BassetHoundTrio.
How do BCNs compare with fibre (bamboo) needles?
BCNs give broadly similar results to the very best older brands of fibres such as
Given optimal conditions some enthusiasts report sometimes being able to play a dozen or more sides before repointing fibres; we are unable to say whether BCNs would do the same under similar conditions, but in any case thorns can be repointed many times more than fibres can be recut (see below) – only a miniscule amount is removed from the tip each time. This is another area for further experimentation when time permits.
Can’t I just use other cactus spines or thorns instead?
You can, and some enthusiasts enjoy doing so, but it will take a lot of experimentation and results will almost certainly never approach the performance of BCNs. As far as we know, the particular species of cactus no longer grows anywhere convenient to collectors, and the one used for the US equivalents (the Saguaro cactus) is now strictly protected. Also, BCNs undergo specific purification, selection, hardening and pointing processes that took the inventors four years of research and development in the 1920s.
How can I sharpen BCNs?
It is possible with practice to sharpen BCNs by hand using fine emery, but a proper sharpener is much better. There were many different types – BCN and IM Pointmaster sharpeners are fine, but the best are probably Universals and above all MALs (produced in small numbers by Miles Mallinson in more recent years). We usually have a selection of sharpeners for sale.
How long do BCNs last – how many times can they be sharpened?
Results depend on having a good sharpener and practice – once familiar with using BCNs, repointing usually takes only a ‘quick twiddle’. Claims stated on the original packets varied over the decades, but we finally ran trials in 2020. Using a standard sharpener and repeatedly sharpening slightly more heavily and for slightly longer than usual, 100 sharpenings removed 4mm in length from a medium thorn (equating to 40 microns or about 1½ thou” each time). This was found to be very consistent with several different thorns. Length of BCNs is subject to some variation, but all are still usable with 4mm used up – thus we can therefore safely say that it is possible to obtain over 100 sharpenings (and as many plays or more) with each thorn needle.
Some of my BCNs are failing prematurely. What’s wrong?
Almost certainly some combination of record wear, record type, gramophone condition and setup. Please read our “Using BCNs” guide – there is a troubleshooting section at the end.
Are BCNs harmful if swallowed?
Undoubtedly (although they are entirely