Fifty year old phono cartridges

I think the VR 1000 would work okay. I don't know about the Golden Classics or VR-22x's. The compliance is so low. And the styli out there are horrible.

 

The GE VR 1000 blows away anything that I have ever heard. My other cart is an Ortofon Quintet Blue.

 

I just bought another GE VR 1000 yesterday.

 

Comparing what I hear between the VR-225 and VR 1000, they are in different leagues. I would consider the VR-225 a waste of money were it not for the fact that I can resell it. My VR 1000's I will keep until I die.

 

My 0.5 mil stylus for my GE VR 1000 arrived. Another dud. Distorted, garbled, skips at 2 grams and 3 grams. Surprisingly, a Walco 0.7 mil that I am testing for someone tracks okay at 2 grams. I am done trying the 0.5 mils. 4 out of 4 have been useless.

 

I know of a good source for OEM styli for older and not so old cartridges. Shure, Pickering, etc. PM me. Glad to help you.

 

GE VR 1000 just sold for $317.80 on Ebay !

 

With OEM GE stylus? or Aftermarket?

 

Claims original but here is the thing. GE never made their own styli from what I have been told. Another one just sold for $255 or thereabouts. Stylus in picture was N359-7D. That is an Astatic 0.7 mil aftermarket. Anyone who bets the farm on a working 0.5 mil is probably going to get burned like I did.

 

Well, congratulate me, I'm now a member of the GE VR-1000 club!! Got a beautiful sea green VR-1000. Its a beaut!!

Now I have to decide which TT to install it in...a Rega P1 or a 1960 Garrard Type A.

 

Ok - what stylus?

 

Russell Industries sells direct to the public the EVG 2751DE which is what NeedleDoctor sells. NeedleDoctor is out of stock now. I will be ordering some tomorrow from Russell Industries for testing. I know that in addition, Gary at Voice of Music has some Pfanstiehl 508-D7's. There is one EV 2743D (not EVG) supposed to be coming to me. Not holding my breath on that one. All of the above are 0.7 mils designed to track at 3-7 grams. 3 or 4 grams should be fine. Even 2 grams on a lightly modulated groove. When you read about people having to track at 5 grams or more...they have a bad stylus.

The 0.5 mils that I have had that do not track at all are the Pfanstiehl 508-D5, EV 2750D(two of those), and a Miller G-25XD. Ironically, these are supposed to track at 1-3 grams.

 

Congratulations !!! My second one is sea green too. My first is black. I wonder what color the next one will be ? LOL !!

 

I have a Russell Ind. stylus. NOT satisfactory by any means. It is what I described above.

 

As far as vintage carts from that era are concerned, I've pretty much concluded that it's either genuine USA made original styli - or forget it.
At least that's what I've learned with Pickering 380, Shure M3/7/8/21D, Empire 880, and now the GE VR1000.

 

389: I dont know, its a white plastic base, my guess is thats the original stylus but who knows.
There is a "1359" stamped on the side of the stylus......anyone know what that signifies?
I will try it out on some records I dont listen to see what it sounds like but I fully plan to buy a bunch of styli (maybe 10 or so) so I am covered. I'm waiting for John to try his out from Needle Doctor and see if he likes them. I'll follow Johns advice as he has so much experience with the Vr-1000.
It certainly looks like we are talking .07 or nothing here.
I'm looking forward to trying it out. I have to get my Garrard 1960 Type A running tho......I havent used it in like 10 years. I just hope the speed is correct. My instinct tells me it would be a good match for the Vr-1000, as I am sure many GE VRs were installed on that exact table in 1960. It was not Garrards top of the lines (that was the 301) but it was up there. My uncle bought mine new in 1960 when I was just born. It is for me, a real kick knowing that it will still be making music with me now that I'm in my 50s!

 

I'm inclined to agree.

 

John, does the color tell you what the model # after the "1000" is? I saw the same color I have on the net and it was a VR 1000-7.

 

Stereoguy - No, The white hard plastic is the problem. It "mimics" a suspension. Virtually no compliance - Junk. I tried it - It will shred, and sound like doo.
I have a (worn) original. It has a nice soft black rubbery suspension. Not even close.

 

Well, it just struck me that my stylus is the N359-7D. That is an Astatic 0.7 mil aftermarket, per Johnny. 389" did the one you had have the N359 stamped on it?

 

That is potentially bad news.

Both my Shure M7 21D and Empire 880 had good styli when I got them. Although the Empire is a "P" model which was to have had a .6 conical, it came instead with the green .7 that I'm OK with - it sounds good. But I did purchase a NOS duplicate off e-bay that was in Fidelitone packaging unfortunately with a hardened suspension. The vendor refunded but did not want the stylus back so I still have it. Not wanting to be without a replacement because they don't exactly grow on trees, I had a Tonar special ordered which came in the little glass (or plastic?) capsule. Have not tired it yet,

I have yet to order something for the Shure M7 21D. But you say anything other that a genuine Shure would be unsatisfactory? Can't imagine there are too many of those kicking around.

 

My Empire 880 came in a Junker "parts-car" Garrard turntable. It has the white 0.7mil heavier tracking stylus on it which is more than likely original. It tracks very nicely on 45's at 3.5 grams, even on my rough & tumbly Garrard AT-6, in full auto mode. It sounds very sweet and really pulls out good high end, with good inner groove performance. It doesn't quite have the punch of the Shure M44-7 or 35X, but it seems to do really good with detail and vocal distortion on not-so-perfect records. I really need to try the Empire on a better table.

There were 3 types of 880 styli, with 3 external stylus shroud colors :
880 (White 0.7mil conical heavier tracking), 880P (Green 0.6mil lighter tracking), and 880PE (Black Elliptical light tracking, 1-2 grams or so). I don't have the spec sheet here where I'm writing this, as I do not recall the dimensions of the elliptical stylus. They (the carts) pop up on eBay periodically, but usually in used condition. Beware, because the way the stylus is removed from the cart, the original stylus colored "shroud", white, green, or black, does not come out of the cart with the actual stylus. This means over the years, a stylus could potentially be different than when the cart was purchased new. Someone please correct me - but I believe all of the internal plastic stylus body parts are green, which may lead people to think they actually have a green 880PE stylus when they do not. I think the only current reproductions are 0.7 mil.

Shure M7 21D - Styli for these (NOS Shure Originals) come up on eBay periodically. But they are pricey, especially the light tracking N21D. There are at least 2 up for sale right now.
Jico makes a reproduction - but I know nothing about it.

With all this being said about how good the originals may be (or were) - It's always a gamble as to how well the original suspension has survived over time.

 

No. Mine for the VR1000 is not an Astatic.

I would only buy an Astatic if it was labeled "genuine" on the back. I do have 1 Astatic supplied Pickering unit (380-ATG Gold) with the little Astatic symbol mark on the side of the stylus housing, and manuf. date ('68 - pretty late for that one) on the other.

 

Well, now we can buy elliptical styli from John..
Hopefully they are good.

 

No Mike, maybe it once did but the styli are interchangeable.