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Posted by YuVaL on May-23-2003 15:47:

Why?

guys, i was just sitting on the toilet and wondering.. (dont ask).. is there any particular reason the tone arm is on the right side of the turntable and not the left side?.. maybe cause it was ment for lefties or something?? ..
anyone know?

Posted by Tiger777 on May-23-2003 15:53:

probably 'cuz there is a little less scratching on the record when the needle passes.

Posted by YuVaL on May-23-2003 16:00:

quote:
Originally posted by Tiger777
probably 'cuz there is a little less scratching on the record when the needle passes.

hmm.. wouldn't it be equal on both sides?

Posted by Tiger777 on May-23-2003 16:01:

I don't think so... It would be the same like you constantly play your record on reverse. It wears out alot more...

Posted by YuVaL on May-23-2003 16:34:

quote:
Originally posted by Tiger777
I don't think so... It would be the same like you constantly play your record on reverse. It wears out alot more...

im not talking about the way it spins
it would still be spinning the same way
just the tone arm would move to the other site

Posted by Tiger777 on May-23-2003 17:23:

I know but you would have the same effect.
the needle is orientated like this
<-----

the record turns the same way

When the needle is on the other side, the needle and the record have opposite directions => it weares alot more

Posted by JohnSmith on May-23-2003 18:07:

if the tonearm was on the other side, then the record would have to spin the other way.

Posted by schnegggge on May-23-2003 18:12:

Posted by Rememberence_ on May-23-2003 19:02:

quote:
Originally posted by JohnSmith
if the tonearm was on the other side, then the record would have to spin the other way.

haha no.

look at it this way. the needle comes straight down from the stylus onto the record, it makes no difference whatsoever where the tonearm is, aslong as the needle is resting in the vinyl's groove and the vinyl is spinning in a clockwise direction.

nuff said

Posted by JohnSmith on May-23-2003 19:45:

haha YES!

take a look:

imagine if you were to rip the tonearm assembly off, and put it on the top left corner, and bend the tonearm the other way.

now, if the record was still turning clockwise, it would be turning INTO the front of the needle, not dragging over top of it. see what i mean?

in normal operation the record will be going like this

needle
|
|
V

/__________ <--- direction of record

but if the tonearm was on the other side, and it was still turning clockwise then the needle would be like this

\__________ <--- direction of record

it would still work, but your vinyls would wear worse, it would be like playing them backwards all the time.

Posted by Tiger777 on May-23-2003 20:09:

AHA, so my theory w�s correct

Posted by j_spot on May-23-2003 20:34:

or you could just mount the stylus backwards and have it spin the conventional way.

Posted by auujay on May-23-2003 21:17:

Made for right handers

I strongly believe it is on the right side because most of the world is right handed (like more then 80%) and so you must lift the tone arm up and down with your right hand, so it is on the right side. That is the only reason. I find it very hard to believe that it is there for any other reason. Of course I am assuming that if the assembly was on the left corner the tonearm and stylus would be designed to the record would not wear any differently.

Posted by Kid Lax on May-23-2003 21:38:

Re: Made for right handers

i figure its on the right side from back when record players were just coming out...they put the tonearm on the right side considering, like auujay said, most people are right handed

then i guess that idea just became the norm while turntables evolved

however i don't think it would be possible to have it on the left side
all records are pressed in the same spiral way, if you had it on the left side you would have to have the record spinning the opposite way and that would mean your record would be playing backwards

it would be dumb to have it on the left side now because that would result in lefty and righty records to be produced...and imagine how annoying that would be if you found the one record you've always wanted but it was for a lefty table...or the club you were playing at had the tonearm on the wrong side

Posted by Vlad on May-23-2003 23:08:

If you want the tonearm to be on the left side, than just simply take your turntable and spin it 180 degrees, its now on the left side

Posted by Connector on May-23-2003 23:15:

thats f*cked up

Posted by Tiger777 on May-23-2003 23:30:

LOL! That's kinda fucked up...

Posted by YuVaL on May-23-2003 23:47:

hmm
i wonder
u guys say that it was made for right handers..
but i mean
if the tonearm is on the right side
you'd have to be pushin the vinyl bad and forth, with your LEFT hand... isn't that weird?, considering more then 80 % are right handed?

Posted by Spin Doctor on May-24-2003 00:46:

The most obvious question that needs to be answered is why the convention grew that records spin clockwise instead of anti-clockwise.

Posted by Tiger777 on May-24-2003 01:02:

Posted by Kid Lax on May-24-2003 01:09:

quote:
Originally posted by YuVaL
hmm
i wonder
u guys say that it was made for right handers..
but i mean
if the tonearm is on the right side
you'd have to be pushin the vinyl bad and forth, with your LEFT hand... isn't that weird?, considering more then 80 % are right handed?

read my post

turntables weren't initially designed for DJs or people to be cueing the record while its playing...they were designed to play music via you putting the needle on the record and letting it spin

most people are right handed and there for are more steady with their right hand when putting the needle down...even if they were designed strictly for djs initially...it would make sense to put it on the right side...
you can always cue the record with either hand, but its REALLY awkward to put the needle on the record with your left hand

todays players just follow route with the originals...it became the standard

that's the reason why records are pressed to spin clockwise, because of the initial development of turntables

Posted by Bryant on May-24-2003 04:23:

How about putting the tonearm upsidedown on the left bottom corner?

Posted by YuVaL on May-24-2003 10:18:

quote:
Originally posted by Kid Lax
read my post

turntables weren't initially designed for DJs or people to be cueing the record while its playing...they were designed to play music via you putting the needle on the record and letting it spin

most people are right handed and there for are more steady with their right hand when putting the needle down...even if they were designed strictly for djs initially...it would make sense to put it on the right side...
you can always cue the record with either hand, but its REALLY awkward to put the needle on the record with your left hand

todays players just follow route with the originals...it became the standard

that's the reason why records are pressed to spin clockwise, because of the initial development of turntables

oh ok.. now i understand..
im left handed as well. and have no problem playing the needle on with my right hand...

anyway.. it was just a question i was thinking about.. seemed to interest me.. thank you all for ur replies and help..

Posted by Silky Silk on May-24-2003 21:13:

It's possible to have the tonearm on the left side without running the stylus the wrong way.... instead of having it come from the top down, have it go from the left to the right. So basically move the tonearm to the other side and rotate it 90 degrees counter-clockwise. It's basically the same effect as just turning the deck battle-style.

Posted by Kid Lax on May-24-2003 21:25:

quote:
Originally posted by Bryant
How about putting the tonearm upsidedown on the left bottom corner?

how about you just rotate your tables 180 degrees?