If I were starting new in 78RPM today, I'd probably buy the Ortofon OM series cartridge made for 78s. I doubt Ortofon will go out of the needle and cartridge business for a while. The Shure M44 is probably fine for most uses, also. I never _loved_ the Stanton 500 but it has always been fine for the 78 listening and transfers I've done and it's not so fragile or so expensive that I care about playing beat up records. I had a Shure M44 for a long time but stupidly sold it in the 90s when I thought I was getting out of grooved disks. I would have just bought the 78 needle for it and used it to play 78s to this day if it were still around. Grado also makes a 78RPM-purposed cartridge. My opinion of Grado, having owned two of their lower-end cartridges, is that they didn't sound very good and weren't very well made. It might have changed under the new generation of ownership. I like the idea of their business (American-made, American-owned) but like I said I didn't like their products which I have owned in the past. -- Tom Fine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Kulp" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 1:44 PM Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Styli >I have a 50+ year old Shure I really loved,that I can no longer get retipped.?Can anybody suggest a >replacement? > > Roger > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Milan P Milovanovic <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: Friday, August 3, 2012 4:44 PM > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Styli > > I don't know if I'm the only one, but I got pretty good results with Ortofon OM series, and bunch > of re-tipped styli (done by Expert Stylus company). Also their original Ortofon OM 78 needle is > very good needle for everyday use (2.7 mil truncated elliptical), very suitable for lacquers and > transcriptions. > > Regards, > > Milan > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kevin P. Mostyn" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Friday, August 03, 2012 9:36 PM > Subject: [ARSCLIST] Styli > > >> I recently tried to order some more custom styli from Expert Stylus for a >> Stanton 500 but was informed that Stanton has essentially left the phono >> cartridge business, at least for now and perhaps forever, due to their >> purchase by Gibson Guitars. Expert suggested that I turn to Shure or >> Ortofon. Ortofon is out of my price range, so I'm looking at Shure. I know >> that some U.S. dealers still have Expert-Tipped Stanton styli available but >> I would like to find a long term solution. >> >> I see the following cartridges available: >> >> M78S - specifically for 78, uses the N78S stylus; Note that the N78S stylus >> has max tracking of 3 grams. >> >> M44-7 - no listing for a 78 stylus. Max tracking is 3 grams. >> >> M97-xE - not clear if it takes an N78S stylus; regular shank probably too >> delicate for historical records. >> >> M92E - does take the N78S stylus >> >> SC35C - does take the N78S stylus, but the regular shank for this cartridge >> will track up to 5 grams! Its replacement stylus is cheaper than the N78S >> stylus. >> >> The list of available cartridges is at: >> http://www.shure.com/americas/products/phono/index.htm >> >> The list of available styli is at: >> http://www.shure.com/americas/products/accessories/phono-accessories/index.h >> tm >> >> In a 2006 post, Dave Lennick recommended the SC35C with its quondam 78 >> stylus, but said stylus is no longer available. However, the stock SS35C >> shank may be the same one used for the SS78E. Dave has also said that he >> (really really) hates the N78S stylus. It may be that the SC35C shank will >> fit into any of the cartridges that accept an N78S. >> >> Since I'm having custom tips affixed, it really doesn't matter if a factory >> 78 tip is unavailable. I just need a high quality cartridge with an >> appropriate strong shank that will survive playing historical records and >> can be retipped by Expert. It appears that the only appropriate shanks from >> Shure are the ones in the SC35C, the N78S and the M44-7. >> >> I will use these mainly for transcription discs. I have a few thousand >> transcription discs, vinyl, lacquer, uncoated aluminum. >> >> I would very much appreciate any advice that the group can provide. >> >> --Kevin Mostyn >