OK to play 78s with elliptical stylus?

Thanks Eldartford, you are right. I found the following post: "What is the difference between LP and 78 needles?
The difference is size. the 78 stylus is 4 times larger than the LP stylus. This is because the groove dimensions of the 78 disc are larger. if you place a LP stylus into a 78 groove, the needle will be resting on the bottom of the groove instead of tracing the groove wall. The result is lots of surface noise and little sound. Over the years I have seen many collectors accept this poor sound as simply the fault of the record! Using the right size stylus is always important."

So I'll need to get a cartridge built for the wider groove width. I checked out the Shure website, but so far have been unable to find what I need. But I'll keep checking and see what I can come up with.

Doing a little more research, I see that I can get a Shure M78S for around $60 and I think that Grado might make a Prestige model with a 78 stylus for around the same price. I'm not sure if I want to spring for that since I only paid $30 for the turntable, but if I don't find a better deal in the next couple of weeks, then I guess I'll pay the $60 for a new one. Man, how cheap can I get! :)

Plato...For really authentic sound, get yourself one of those piezioelectric crystal pickups that used to sell for about $3.50, with genuine osmium stylus. In fact, going further back, there used to be pickups that used triangular cross section wooden (yes) needles, that you would resharpen with a small clipper tool in between records. When I was about ten years old the headmaster of the school that I attended had a state of the art (1948) system which used the wooden needles. Well-behaved students would get to sharpen the needles.

Shhhhhhsh, Eldartford, if the high-end companies get wind of this they will start making needles out of cocobolo and charging a couple of hundred dollars a pop for them. That's a cool story! :)

When I was a kid I think we had some kind of cheap cartridges (ceramic, perhaps?); and when the needles wore out I can remember somehow jamming an actual metal needle or straight pin in the cartridge and it would work. But I don't think it did much to preserve the life of the records...

Eldartford, that's a wonderful story. Of course I have to ask, was the headmaster's high end TT direct drive? ;^)

Hey, a cocobolo stylus would match my plinth and platter, total WAF you know. Twl could even clean and sharpen it for me with his matchstriker. Plato, where do I get one?!