Noob question on cart stylus - What should it look like ?

thsmith

I have been trying to find a picture of what a new stylus or the diamond should look like but no luck.

I have a microscope not sure of its magnification power but I can see the stylus tip and arm very well.

I have a used Signet that came with my TT and after cleaning the entire stylus it is black.

I just purchased a new Shure 97 and before using it I looked at the stylus under the scope and it looks all black.

In either case should I expect the stylus to be shiny or diamond like ?

Thanks for your feedback.

hearingimpared

My stylus looks black too. I'm sure if it were put under a super microscope it would look different. I wouldn't worry about it Mr. OCD!

billbillw

If it is properly cleaned, the stylus tip should be clear when you hold it up to the light. How are you cleaning it? Dry brush, liquid+brush, Magic Eraser, ZeroDust?

I've had them go from black to clear after using the magic eraser.

hearingimpared

To the naked eye mine looked black from the day I got it new.

thsmith

I tried ME on both carts lastnight and I did notice the VERY tip was clearish looking but not the entire tip just a very little bit at the tip.

That has me wondering how much of the tip should be diamond like.

DOn't get me wrong, sound is great just got me thinking. I wish had not found my son's old microscope. My wife thinks I nuts. Play record, look at stylus under MS, then clean (dry for now) the look at under MS followed by playing record then repeat.

It is amazing how much dust/dirt/pieces of vinyl? are on the Stylus after just one playing.

Can't afford a nice VPI RCM but I am about to start making a DIY manual RCM this weekend.

I took my DIscwasher(original) lastnight and took a brand new toothbruch to clean the pad and the toothbrush was grey almost blackish. I did this on a piece of white paper and the follow off was amazing.

Has me thinking I should not use the Discwasher anymore.

jm1

The Magic Eraser method.

thsmith

No and I never will boil my records not matter who has had success.

gdb

Check out this thread for a novel LP cleaning method !:eek:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=99837

jm1

hearingimpared wrote: »

To the naked eye mine looked black from the day I got it new.

Yours is definitely not black. Highlight some of the model numbers on the left of the page. A few of the models will show pictures of the stylus on the right of the page.

SORAsound

jm1

thsmith wrote: »

No and I never will boil my records not matter who has had success.

Honest, this was an actual thread someone started on Agon in the Analog forum. I would never suggest you boil any LPs unless you never want to play them anymore.

I think I will remove this as I don't want anyone new to LPs to try this.

thsmith

jm1 wrote: »

Yours is definitely not black. Highlight some of the model numbers on the left of the page. A few of the models will show pictures of the stylus on the right of the page.

SORAsound

Perfect, that is what I was looking for. Its not the entire Stylus but the very tip. I will need a more powerful microscope to get a view that big

Thanks,

jm1

thsmith wrote: »

Perfect, that is what I was looking for. Its not the entire Stylus but the very tip. I will need a more powerful microscope to get a view that big

Thanks,

Remember there are different stylus shapes. Yours will not be like this. The user who was quoted will have this stylus profile.

billbillw

You should only be concerned about the very tip.

There are different types of construction. Some are a full piece of diamond (usually called nude shank), some are just a small diamond tip bonded to a shaft of metal (called bonded tip). There are variants, but you get the idea.

Most affordable cartridges are bonded tip, including the Shure M97xE.

Look in the library at VinylEngine.com for the AudioTechnica cartridge guide for further explanation of stylus types.
http://www.vinylengine.com/library/audio-technica/cartridge-guide.shtml

(You have to be a member to download. Join, its free!)

thsmith

Makes perfect sence, that helps

hearingimpared

I still hold that to the naked eye my stylus looks black and it is thoroughly clean. Those pics on the Sorasound page are ultra-magnified.

thsmith

hearingimpared wrote: »

I still hold that to the naked eye my stylus looks black and it is thoroughly clean. Those pics on the Sorasound page are ultra-magnified.

Agree hearing, you have better eyes than mine because I can't even see the tip, well barely. I have to use the microscope but even then mine is not powerful enough to make out much of the bonded tip on the shure. DOes provide a good enough view of how clean or dirty it is.