Grado Labs..

[jleon92f]

Hi Vinyl fans,

I just found out something, The Grado Cartridge Labs are in Brooklyn, NY on 46th and 7th Ave. I lived on 49th Street and 7th Ave from 1960 to 1968.
I went to school with a Joseph Grado? I wonder if he was related.:scratch2:

Small world, I did a Google Earth to look at the old neighborhood.

John.

 

[Tapehead47]

I remember back in the 60's when Grado cartriges were considered "El Crappo". But so was Toyota.

Rick

 

[Holst]

The Joe Grado of Grado cartridge fame would be older as he started building carts on his kitchen table in 1953, though it could be a family member.

 

[JWFokker]

I remember back in the 60's when Grado cartriges were considered "El Crappo". But so was Toyota.

Rick

I wonder if that's because they were still being perfected, or if it was just general resentment because they were new? I mean, a few years ago Samsung and Hyundai were both just more 'crappy' Korean brands, even though their products were very good, and actually an even better deal than they are now. It would be interesting to see a test of an NOS early Grado cart.

 

[Tapehead47]

Back in the 60' and 70's Grado sold for very little money compared to the more popular makes. We just assumed they were inferior. The stereo salesman would 'throw in' a Grado with a TT purchase to make a sale. I was just a stupid kid back then (20's) and wanted the 'Cadillac' of cartriges, which I think might have been a Stanton or Shure.

Now I'm a stupid adult.

Rick

 

[nasadowsk]

Were the old Grados that bad though? I thought he made a name for himself elsewhere before starting the firm?

Then again, bad vs today's stuff, or then?

 

[Tapehead47]

nasa; I never even listened to a Grado back then. (Just like I never test drove a Yugo). I have no opinion. Grado might have made a great cartridge, but....

Rick

 

[nailer]

Joe Grado invented the MC cartridge, patented it, and then came out with the moving iron which is the Grado we all know and love. In the mid 70s everyone and their brother came out with a MC because Grado's patent expired. Around this time Grado came out with his Signature - one of the first, if not the first, really high priced cartridges.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it until a better one comes along.

 

[Tapehead47]

Nailer: sounds good to me!

Rick

 

[Holst]

Were the old Grados that bad though? I thought he made a name for himself elsewhere before starting the firm?

Then again, bad vs today's stuff, or then?

Nailer nailed it on the MC's, he was working for Ortofon at the time.

Tapehead may have something on the perception of Grado. I was working part time in a stereo shop in 77 when the manager came back from an audio show of some sort and proclaimed we were all wrong about Grado, these are the carts we should be using.

I didn't know anything about Grado at the time, so I didn't know I was somehow wrong about them. But they became the cart we pushed as a best buy from that time on.