Goldring
Goldring was founded in Berlin in 1906 by Czech brothers Heinrich and Julius Scharf, operating under the name Gebrüder Scharf. The company initially manufactured gramophone needles, clockwork motors, and governor springs before developing more sophisticated acoustic equipment. In 1926, the Juwel Electro sound box was launched incorporating a mica diaphragm, and products began to carry the gold ring trademark as a mark of quality.
The company relocated to England in 1933, settling in Woodford, Essex, under the management of Heinrich's sons Erwin and Freddie Scharf. Production subsequently moved to Dalston in East London, where the team developed the Model 100 magnetic pick-up cartridge. The company was officially renamed Goldring Manufacturing (GB) Ltd in 1953. Key technical milestones include the Goldring 500 in the 1950s, described as the first hi-fi cartridge with low dynamic mass, and the variable reluctance G800 in 1967, which enabled playing weights below two grams. The first Goldring moving coil cartridge, the Electro II, was introduced in 1983.
Today Goldring produces a range of hand-crafted moving magnet and moving coil cartridges, along with record care products, and offers a cartridge repair and refurbishment service. The brand emphasises over a century of heritage in phono cartridge design and manufacture in the United Kingdom.
