Small experiment

[MajorFubar]

Back in the early 70s when my dad bought what is now my TD160, the cartridge it came with was a NEAT Vertex V70. When the turntable came into my possession at the end of the 80s (having done the rounds of the family a bit), the stylus was shot and I couldn't find anywhere to buy another, so I fitted an AT95E to it. Since then the turntable has hosted a whole plethora of cartridges such as an Ortofon MC10 Super, Goldring 1006, AT105E, and currently an Ortofon MC-3 Turbo, all the while the NEAT V70 cartridge (sans stylus) has sat in storage. But today I came up with this crazy idea of buying a stylus for it from eBay and trying it out for the first time in easily 30 years.

Of course now I play the waiting game while the darn thing arrives, so don't expect a verdict soon. I will post up some comparisons for you all to listen to, against my existing MC-3 Turbo.

 

[thescarletpronster]

I'm not sure quite how good a stylus that costs £3 including p&p is going to sound, but good luck.

Might it be worth sending your original stylus off to be retipped?

 

[Al ears]

I'm not sure quite how good a stylus that costs £3 including p&p is going to sound, but good luck.

Might it be worth sending your original stylus off to be retipped?

I very much doubt that would be cost-effective for this cartridge, but then again I'd also question the value of putting a £3 stylus on it as well when a decent replacement from a reputable company like Tonar costs 20 euros.

 

[MajorFubar]

I'm not sure quite how good a stylus that costs £3 including p&p is going to sound, but good luck.

Might it be worth sending your original stylus off to be retipped?

They will be new old stock. No one is actually making replacement styli for such an obscure low-end cartridge that's been obsolete for at least 35 years, let alone making them and selling them for £3. As for re-tipping, the original stylus was thrown away long before some forum members were born, but in any case as Al says, it wouldn't be cost effective.

 

[MajorFubar]

I'd also question the value of putting a £3 stylus on it as well when a decent replacement from a reputable company like Tonar costs 20 euros.

The only place I've ever found them other than eBay was here, which looks exactly like what I just bought, and probably is; there won't ever have been many manufacturers making replacement styli for something so obscure and low-end. I couldn't even buy a new stylus for it when it first wore out thirty years ago; that's how it ended up being replaced with an AT95E.

 

[Al ears]

I'd also question the value of putting a £3 stylus on it as well when a decent replacement from a reputable company like Tonar costs 20 euros.

The only place I've ever found them other than eBay was here, which looks exactly like what I just bought, and probably is; there won't ever have been many manufacturers making replacement styli for something so obscure and low-end. I couldn't even buy a new stylus for it when it first wore out thirty years ago; that's how it ended up being replaced with an AT95E.

No problem. I saw it on a site, cannot recall which, that had its prices all in euros. It was made by Tonar though which many were not. Tonar have a very good reputation and you could be sure it's good quality, cannot vouch for others. Just for your information really. This stylus obviously fitted many cartridges as its the same as Nagaoka V70, 707 etc. and there were quite a few making replacements.

EDIT: Just found the site, it's Dutch.

http://www.pickupnaalden.com/english/turntable_needles.asp?M=Neat_V-70__3881

 

[MajorFubar]

In an ideal world I'd buy a spare TP60 headshell and fit the V70 to it so I don't have to faff around taking the MC-3 out of the original one, just for sake of mucking about with an old cartridge. But the price they're fetching is more than I'm prepared to pay when I have no real use for it afterwards.

 

[Al ears]

In an ideal world I'd buy a spare TP60 headshell and fit the V70 to it so I don't have to faff around taking the MC-3 out of the original one, just for sake of mucking about with an old cartridge. But the price they're fetching is more than I'm prepared to pay when I have no real use for it afterwards.

Ouch! For a headshell? Is it made out of unobtanium? They are having a laugh surely. There must be third-party alternatives?

The idea behind detachable headshells was you bought a couple and switched cartridges willy-nilly, or so I thought. Not at those prices.

Surely it's a standard fitting isn't it? There's got to be cheaper alternatives that don't have Thorens written on them. The example you show has obviously seen better days to.

 

[MajorFubar]

Surely it's a standard fitting isn't it? There's got to be cheaper alternatives that don't have Thorens written on them. The example you show has obviously seen better days to.

Sadly not. The most common are SME and Technics and I'm fairly sure neither of them fit.

 

[Al ears]

Surely it's a standard fitting isn't it? There's got to be cheaper alternatives that don't have Thorens written on them. The example you show has obviously seen better days to.

Sadly not. The most common are SME and Technics and I'm fairly sure neither of them fit.

Oh dear. I am well aware of the SME fit types and Technics I was hoping the Thorens fit might be similar to these or indeed that used by the old Lencos.

There is one current on eBay bidding £16.50 but with seven days left who knows where that is going to go.

 

[MajorFubar]

There is one current on eBay bidding £16.50 but with seven days left who knows where that is going to go.

Not too long ago anything between £10-£15 bought one, but spares prices have gone silly. Less so the price for complete TD160 turntables, which unfortunately has resulted in quite a few good examples being broken for spares.

 

[Al ears]

There is one current on eBay bidding £16.50 but with seven days left who knows where that is going to go.

Not too long ago anything between £10-£15 bought one, but spares prices have gone silly. Less so the price for complete TD160 turntables, which unfortunately has resulted in quite a few good examples being broken for spares.

I guess that's the resurgence in vinyl for you, everyone thinks they can now sell their old tack for a fortune. Oh for a little knowledge!

 

[MajorFubar]

Experiment temporarily halted pending the procurement of a pair of somewhat longer bolts!

 

[MajorFubar]

So the stylus just arrived in today's post

Looks remarkably like the Tonar one, but I guess they're all going to look pretty much the same.

 

[Lost Angeles]

So the stylus just arrived in today's post

Looks remarkably like the Tonar one, but I guess they're all going to look pretty much the same.

It looks like someone's knocked it up in their shed, put too much tracking weight on and slice the record in two. *bad*

 

[Lost Angeles]

80 grade sandpaper, more like a grinderette. Enjoy

 

[MajorFubar]

Get outta here it looks barely any different to this Tonar one, though whether it's made by the same company I have no idea:

Tell a lie the stylus tip in these photos looks like it's been cleaned once too many times with 80-grade sandpaper, but to be fair it's probably just a rubbish photo and I'm sure in real life it's fine.

 

[MajorFubar]

Just waiting for the delivery of some longer cartridge bolts. Tried to be smart and improvise using some general-purpose nuts and bolts from my toolbox, but any the right length are a touch too wide and any the right width are too short.