I think there is some left inside the cartridge body that I would have to clean out.
I've read in other threads that there is usually some rubber, and that it degrades over many years. I didn't get a clear idea of whether the degradation would be fixed by installing a new stylus.
It looks to me as though the bulk of the sticky mess is attached to the stylus assembly, but I can't be sure. I found this just as I was leaving for work, so will have to take a better look tonight.
I've read in other threads that there is usually some rubber, and that it degrades over many years. I didn't get a clear idea of whether the degradation would be fixed by installing a new stylus.
It looks to me as though the bulk of the sticky mess is attached to the stylus assembly, but I can't be sure. I found this just as I was leaving for work, so will have to take a better look tonight.
Oh dear, that sounds like the stylus "bearing" (which is rubber) has gone horrible and oozed. To be honest, although you could clean up the cartridge body, it's probably not worth it. Cartridge design has moved on and if you're going to have to spend almost as much as a new cartridge, you might as well get a new cartridge that's a more modern design. Unless, of course, you're especially fond of that particular cartridge?
No, the cartridge is not valuable to me. I've just been using it as a junker, before mounting my better (Shure) cartridge.
So, now I'm in the market for a cartridge to use on my experimental TTs. Currently, I'm using a Rega RB250, unmodified. I already have a Shure M97Xe, that's my main cart. I want to get at least one more cartridge for comparison.
I don't need something that sounds similar to the Shure.. I want to get a feel for some different cartridge sounds.
I'm wondering about Audio Technica AT440ML, or Grado Red, or Sumiko Pearl. Would any of these be a particularly good (or bad) choice?
Or some other cartridge?
At the moment, I want to stay away from MC cartridges.
So, now I'm in the market for a cartridge to use on my experimental TTs. Currently, I'm using a Rega RB250, unmodified. I already have a Shure M97Xe, that's my main cart. I want to get at least one more cartridge for comparison.
I don't need something that sounds similar to the Shure.. I want to get a feel for some different cartridge sounds.
I'm wondering about Audio Technica AT440ML, or Grado Red, or Sumiko Pearl. Would any of these be a particularly good (or bad) choice?
Or some other cartridge?
At the moment, I want to stay away from MC cartridges.
I'm afraid I can't comment on MM cartridges - the only MM I have is an Ortofon OM30 on my (mono) record player, and that's twenty years old.
My MC is an Ortofon Rohmann and I'm not convinced it was worth the money I paid for it. I liked its predecessor better (Ortofon Quattro with body removed).
My MC is an Ortofon Rohmann and I'm not convinced it was worth the money I paid for it. I liked its predecessor better (Ortofon Quattro with body removed).
WOAH...I don't think what your looking at is decomp rubber!!
I sold many a Grado back in the early eighties, and replaced quite a few styluses (styli ?), and ALL of them had a thick black viscous "stuff" in the gap the stylus came out of.
Think ferro-fluid dampning...don't clean it out !!!
Casey
I sold many a Grado back in the early eighties, and replaced quite a few styluses (styli ?), and ALL of them had a thick black viscous "stuff" in the gap the stylus came out of.
Think ferro-fluid dampning...don't clean it out !!!
Casey
Ah OK, now I've found some info about it.
I think on my cart, some of it has dried out, so it looks like decomposed rubber, but it seems like way too much rubber for there to be in a cartridge. And the bulk of it is.. black goo.
So, I won't trash it just yet. I'll try to clean it up a bit, and put it back together, see how it sounds. Maybe I'll buy a new stylus first, since this one is so old.
I think on my cart, some of it has dried out, so it looks like decomposed rubber, but it seems like way too much rubber for there to be in a cartridge. And the bulk of it is.. black goo.
So, I won't trash it just yet. I'll try to clean it up a bit, and put it back together, see how it sounds. Maybe I'll buy a new stylus first, since this one is so old.
A new grado of comparable quality probably isn't going to cost much more than the replacement stylus. I have an ancient 8MR on an SME3009 II arm and I love it. In the past I have had the Monster Alpha, Sumiko Blue Point, Audio Technica (model forgotten) on a different arm/TT. (Audio Craftsman arm)
Why are you avoiding MC types, there are several HO models that sound quite good. I would recommend the Blue Point or one of its "improved" variants if you have a moderate to high mass arm otherwise stick with a somewhat higher compliance MM type.
Why are you avoiding MC types, there are several HO models that sound quite good. I would recommend the Blue Point or one of its "improved" variants if you have a moderate to high mass arm otherwise stick with a somewhat higher compliance MM type.
I wanted to avoid MC for two reasons:
1. I thought the output was too low to drive an MM phono stage.
2. I thought they would tend to be much more expensive.
My phono stage is a Pearl, by the way, and my arm is a Rega RB250. The arm is currently stock, though I am thinking of doing the OL upgrades. Just not sure whether it's worth it.
The Sumiko bluepoint has very high output, in the same range typical for most moving magnets and ought to be a good match for the rb-250 arm which has moderately high mass. The BP tracks around 2 grams..
It's not the cheapest cartridge out there, but it is relatively inexpensive compared to high end mm types.
It's not the cheapest cartridge out there, but it is relatively inexpensive compared to high end mm types.
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