Tom:
Have you tried a .0025 78 rpm stylus. It will require a heavier tracking force, but it might clear up the distortion. I transfer a lot of early 45 rpm records and keep an array of stylus tips on hand for my Sure M44-7 to account for over-sized grooves and old playback wear.
Jay Bruder
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2016 5:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ARSCLIST] Tracking overcut early stereo records
I'm wondering if there is a better way in a modern LP playback/transfer context to track some of the old stereo records that were overcut. In a modern system, such as an Ortofon 2M Black or similar slender stylus/compliant mechanism setup, the needle rattles around in the overcut parts of the groove and you get fuzz distortion. With an older LP, not only was the groove likely overcut, but when it was played on an older system, even a few times, the heavy/non-compliant system probably made the problem worse for a modern pickup. So is there a modern cartridge that both sounds good and is stiffer with perhaps a more blunt needle so as to hug the overcut groove? I tried a Stanton 500 with the standard conical stylus and did not like the sound quality, although it did produce less fuzz distortion on the overcut parts. I don't have any budget to buy a custom stylus, but was thinking about springing for a sub-$200 "DJ" cartridge, on the theory that this might be designed to hug wide grooves and not rattle around. Thoughts and suggestions most welcome.
-- Tom Fine
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