[78-L] Week 3 Styles and Cartridges.

[Ken Matheson]

Week 3, Styles and Cartridges.
 
There is one choice when it comes to cartridges that stands out.
It is the Stanton 500 cartridge. They come with a .7 mill styles,
but a 3 mill aftermarket needle can be easily obtained. It may
be good to look on Ebay England. There seems to be additional
brands there. There does not seem to be too much difference
between 2.8 and 3 mill needles. The original Stanton 2.8 mill
seems to have a little higher output. The 500 is rugged intended
for DJ use, and takes a licking. Sometimes 78s need extra weight.
I usually use 2.5 grams, but sometimes use 5 grams when a
record has skips. The price is reasonable for the 500s.
 
I know there are better sounding cartridges out there. I found a
33 and 45 cartridge with a removable head shell on a turntable
I picked up at a garage sale that sounds better than the 500. I
Use it for 33s and 45s. I go by sound as opposed to ratings,
because I listen to the music so sound is important.
 
So far I have been talking middle of the road. There are other
options that merit mentioning. The cartridge that came with
the 5 dollar turntable picked up at a garage sale that is plugged
into the sound card may suffice for your purpose. Or a high
end cartridge that run 200 dollars or more may be what you
want.
 
Another option is some people put a microphone in front of
the horn of an old crank phonograph. They like the sound
and nostalgia of the sound that comes from a phonograph
that does not use electronics. The clicks and hiss adds to
the ambiance. Obtaining a new needle for each record
may be difficult. I find playing a record on a crank phonograph
does no good to the record.
 
I will purchase a 4 mill truncated elliptical styles in the future
for some warn 78s that are not in good shape. They have
been cranked.
 
I hope some of you that have more experience will join in
this discussion.