VPI HW 16.5 & 17 Pick Up Tube 78 RPM

The VPI Pick-Up Tube for 78s — A Different Slot, Not a Different Machine

A vacuum pick-up tube for VPI's HW-16.5 and HW-17 record cleaning machines, sold singly, cut for 78 rpm discs. Same fitting, same machine, different slot length — because a 78 is a different size record from an LP.

Shellac also needs cleaning more than vinyl does. These are the oldest records most collections contain, they have usually had the roughest lives, and a vacuum machine is the one tool that can get a century of grime out of a groove.

Fit and Function

Why Record Size Changes the Part

The tube's slot has to span the playing area and no more. Too long and it overruns onto the label; too short and part of the record never gets vacuumed. Since 78s are not the same diameter as LPs, VPI supplies a tube cut for them rather than a compromise.

Which Machines It Fits

VPI lists this tube for the HW-16.5 and HW-17. It drops into the same holder your standard tube uses, so switching between formats is a matter of lifting one out and dropping the other in — no tools and no adjustment.

That makes running both formats genuinely practical rather than theoretical. One machine and two tubes, with a changeover that takes about as long as fetching the next record off the shelf.

Who Is This Pick-Up Tube Best For?

• You clean 78 rpm shellac — this slot is cut for those records
• You own an HW-16.5 or HW-17 — VPI lists both for this tube
• You collect pre-war records — the ones most likely to be filthy and most rewarding to clean
• You already own the standard tube — they share a holder, so switching formats takes seconds
• You only clean 12-inch LPs — then the 33 rpm tube is the one you want, in record cleaning accessories

How Do You Fit It?

Unplug the machine, lift out whichever tube is fitted, wipe the seat clean, and drop this one in with the slot square to the record. Because shellac sheds more than vinyl, check the slot for debris more often than you would with an LP tube.

Pairs Well With

What most 78 cleaners keep alongside.

• Record cleaning solutions — the fluid the machine is there to remove
• Record cleaning accessories — the rest of the spares and consumables
• Record cleaning machines — if you are still choosing one
• Stylus cleaning — a clean record deserves a clean stylus

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it fit my machine?

VPI lists it for the HW-16.5 and HW-17. It uses the same tube holder as the standard pick-up tube on those machines.

How many do I need?

One, sold singly — and most people who buy it already own the standard tube, since the two cover different record sizes rather than replacing one another.

Can I clean 78s with the standard tube?

The slot is cut for a 12-inch LP, so on a smaller record it will not match the playing area properly. That is the reason this version exists.

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