• Year
  • 1954 ?
  • Category
  • Microphone or Pick-up element
  • Radiomuseum.org ID
  • 331813

Click on the schematic thumbnail to request the schematic as a free document.

 Technical Specifications

  • Wave bands
  • - without
  • Power type and voltage
  • No Power needed
  • Material
  • Bakelite case
  • from Radiomuseum.org
  • Model: BJ Tangential Tonearm - Magnum brand Burne-Jones & Co.
  • Dimensions (WHD)
  • 215 x 65 x 50 mm / 8.5 x 2.6 x 2 inch
  • Notes
  • The Burne-Jones tangential BJ Arm was invented to minimize tracking errors on record players.

    Here's the issue:

    • Records have grooves cut in a straight line across the disc.
    • Traditional record player arms pivot on the side, causing a slight angle when following the curve of the groove.
    • This angle introduces tracking errors, affecting sound quality.

    The BJ Arm addressed this by:

    • Using a pivoted design that tracked the groove tangentially (in a straight line).
    • Minimising tracking errors almost to zero for better sound reproduction.

    However, the BJ Arm had limitations:

    • Complexity: The design was intricate, making it expensive to manufacture.
    • Cost-cutting: To keep the price down, lower-quality bearings were used.
    • Rigidity: This resulted in the arm being less rigid than standard arms, potentially affecting performance.

    Despite these drawbacks, the BJ Arm enjoyed popularity among hi-fi enthusiasts for over a decade due to its significant reduction in tracking errors.

    See the later improved version BJ Super 90.

  • Net weight (2.2 lb = 1 kg)
  • 0.140 kg / 0 lb 4.9 oz (0.308 lb)
  • Price in first year of sale
  • 3.00 £
  • Literature/Schematics (1)
  • The Gramophone - August 1954
  • Author
  • Model page created by Stan Roberts. See "Data change" for further contributors.

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