They laughed until the DIY retips started to play

[1200y3]

I wouldn't attempt it. Something like contact cement or white glue may be easier to remove, and other types of glue have been discussed in earlier posts, but the risk of damage to the "motor" exists. Cheaper MMs don't have delicate coils attached to the cantilever, and many generic MM stylus came right out of the compliance and stylus to work with.

I would consider (unless you know the cartridge rebuilder) the home rebuilding craft for situations where it keeps costing too much money, or if you have the cartridge to "hack" with no costs. Shure and A/Ts are found at garage sales for almost nothing.

I assume a rebuild would consist of the coils too, and it shouldn't matter what you do, but "send away" cartridge repair may require some original measurements, etc. Cleaning up another's mess is not always easy. It can be costly and risky.

The reason I would repair the original myself is because there is a good chance the original factory work would never be outdone by a second rebuild.

[bakelite2]

Good response so now I have plenty to think about.
I will put the Excel to bed for now and practice on something a bit easier for now, save the $250.00 for a proper Soundsmith rebuild and by doing that sleep easier.
Thanks for your help.

[bakelite2]

Brilliant, can't wait to hear how it performs when you get to drop that stylus. I notice you had a fair bit of the original cantilever to work with, mine has broken of just above the stub well inside the cartridge body.
I have done one rebuild on a B&O cart and it worked brilliantly but the Excel is a different proposition, your effort has given me the inspiration to keep going with the project.

[1200y3]

Just a little off topic, but a couple of interesting DIY cartridges for learning: A 1.50 piezo tweeter will drive a phono input (electrostatic cartridge), and a cassette head (millions of free cartridges) will work with a stylus such as an A/T or Shure placed on it. The tape head actually sounds like tape, but its pickup quality is good.

[bakelite2]

Could you elaborate on that as I don't follow what you mean. I guess I'm a little like Jethro Tulls "Thick As A Brick"

[1200y3]

Just hook the head outputs to the phono input and install the stylus so the magnet is at the head gap (lines). Use a cheap turntable and record for experiment, so the head can be Blu-Tacked to the headshell. It worked on my NAD preamp, but a loading resistor may change it. A tape head amp is usually at least 100k input impedance. It will be difficult to get stereo.

The real idea behind the experiment was differentiating tape from disc. The V15 cartridges used a core closer to a tape head than others, so I was interested in the similarity. I guess tape simply doesn't have high enough velocity at low speeds to provide the exceitement that vinyl does. But the head still had the "dead" sound, so the difference between tape and disc may be in the head. (Of course it is, because head gaps can't be small enough at low speeds.)

As for the piezo, just like a ceramic cartridge it will be difficult to get high enough compliance on the ceramic element, so it is similar to the ceramic cartridge. A ceramic cartridge that uses good stylus and a dab of silicone grease to couple the stylus to the yoke works, but its gain will be as low as a magnetic. There can be other coupling methods as well. It can actually sound very good. Piezos are purely electrical, for a hotter sound, and have more than enough generating ability.

I find it is easier to make a high quality turntable at home than a speaker.

[starterwiz]

Just hook the head outputs to the phono input and install the stylus so the magnet is at the head gap (lines). Use a cheap turntable and record for experiment, so the head can be Blu-Tacked to the headshell. It worked on my NAD preamp, but a loading resistor may change it. A tape head amp is usually at least 100k input impedance. It will be difficult to get stereo.

The real idea behind the experiment was differentiating tape from disc. The V15 cartridges used a core closer to a tape head than others, so I was interested in the similarity. I guess tape simply doesn't have high enough velocity at low speeds to provide the exceitement that vinyl does. But the head still had the "dead" sound, so the difference between tape and disc may be in the head. (Of course it is, because head gaps can't be small enough at low speeds.)

As for the piezo, just like a ceramic cartridge it will be difficult to get high enough compliance on the ceramic element, so it is similar to the ceramic cartridge. A ceramic cartridge that uses good stylus and a dab of silicone grease to couple the stylus to the yoke works, but its gain will be as low as a magnetic. There can be other coupling methods as well. It can actually sound very good. Piezos are purely electrical, for a hotter sound, and have more than enough generating ability.

I find it is easier to make a high quality turntable at home than a speaker.

That sounds distinctly like what I did when I was 13 years old, and hooked the $2.50 turntable up to my dad's Grundig on the right channel, and my Sears beginner guitar amp to the left channel, with 3 pennies and a dime on the end of the arm. I've since learned that it's much more efficient to do a day or two of work and buy a cartdirdge from a reliable source.

Seriously Dood...a guy with your talent should have a job or something.

[1200y3]

I only elaborated because someone asked.

Except for reversal of the pickup coils in the tape head, they are superior.

Like the title states "They laughed..."

3 pennies? Copper and nickel is often all it takes.

When I was 13 I was doing the same thing you were and discovered how to make my turntable sound good.

PS: I have spent more on cartridges than anyone, and I paid, untill I learned. We aren't discussing hack work here, it is about protecting what we invested alot into.

I regret bringing it up now, but the piezos and heads evolved from using them for tonearm resonance measurement tools. I can't help it if they work good for phono pickup.

[bakelite2]

I have my fingers crossed for you when it comes to dropping that stylus for the first time. I eagerly await your results.

[1200y3]

Carefully dropping the needle may be a good idea. I haven't had any failures with any that I have repaired, but I use mostly generics.

I haven't been without a cartridge, and I am getting great sound on my V15s, better than originals. (I'd throw all my records away if I didn't.)

[1200y3]

The brightness could be from the cantilever size, and could be due to their stiffer compliance needing a better match. I usually splice my tip to the cantilever at 1/4 way from the tip, therefore to a whole cantilever. In this case you had no choice. BUT GIVE IT SOME BREAK IN AND WATCH THE VTA AT THE TIP before any conclusions are made about brightness. Grados without the multipieced cantilever are bright anyhow. That is why they split their cantilevers into 3-5 pieces. I do it with thorns on generics, but to each his own risks. Don't forget that Grado also puts a small amount of damping putty in the stylus to cartridge cavity. I still line (felting) my cartridges and headshell with hemp burlap because I always think they are too bright even when they're original.

Nice to have an extra useable stylus too! It is probably a nice original old nudie too!

[rorenoren]

Hi,

wonderful thread here!

Beautiful constuctions!

I am not that good in working precisely.

I have only tried to be able to use the parts I have/had lying around.

In the german "HiFi- Forum" I have a thread (had, as there´s nothing happening at the moment) whre I showed some of my "skills".

If you are interested, see this:

http://www.hifi-forum.de/viewthread-26-7620-1.html

It starts with simply sticking styli into other cartridges and ends up with...see yourself, it´s a bit crazy, but I had a lot of fun.

Some of the "saved" cartridges sound really nice.
(for example the N75 with Ortofon X3MC needle, or the AT95 with Ortofon ? needle)

At least it is very interestig for me to see, wat can be achieved with simple work.


Greets, Jens

[rorenoren]

Hi Dave,

the Shure came in a plastic envelope only fitting into a Braun PDS550 headshell.
(special clip- mount)

So I had to make something to fix it in the SME shell.

It was not made to improve/change the sonic quality.
(and didn´t)

Unfortunately I did not watch for the width of the Shure (more than 1/2") , so the screws are not straight.
(and too short)

It works fine, but looks not that nice, when you come close.

I´ll have to make another, better one, one day.
(I´m too lazy and I use other TTs at the moment, but as well with Shure V15III and the Jico SAS stylus)

Greets, Jens

[rito25]

Well I tried to redo my MA 2002e since my job was horrible on it and i ended up pulling out the suppsention and I can't get it back in. It was fun while it lasted.