What is the best thing to do?

[ehunter]

I have my eye on some tables in Ebay, a Dual 1219 or 1229.

It looks like the 1229 is the later model so I guess I will focus on that.

Seller 1: buy it now $70+35 shipping, arm moves back when done, does not move forward to start, else good working condition. No cartridge. Claimed good condition except I cant tell if the seller has a cover.

Seller 2: buy it now $135+65 shipping, controls cleaned and greased, good cosmetics, small imperfections, cover has cracks in the two corners but fairly clean. With Stanton 500 cartridge.

Seller 3: Auction + $50 shipping, tonearm does not return. Good condition with Pickering XV-15 cartridge. Dust cover has no major scratches, scuffs-repaired crack on the back

I am leaning towards Seller 1 if he has a cover in reasonable condition. Is it possible to buy the dust cover separately in another place? If you think this is not a good decision let me know. Remember, I am a nubie!!! Thanks!

[eb2jim]

1229 is basically the 1219 with a strobe. If you have a strobe disc, this is not a big deal. They are downloadable free from too many places to list, and as long as you have 60hz light around you are good (i.e. North America). The 1229Q has the tonearm prewired for a quadraphonic cartridge.

I would ask seller #1 if he has the cover. If you have no plans of playing automatically - such as stacking of platters and don't mind always moving the tonearm manually then number one is an ok deal. Me personally, I would pay extra for #2 as the seller has done the lubing and maintenance and you really shouldn't skimp on the shipping. A fully working one is going to get you your money back these days, so bargain hunting is not preferred unless you want to learn how to repair it yourself or spend money sending it to Bohey.

#3 is good as long as it stays less than $40 - $50. Buying a machine that needs work up front for more than $100 is not worth it.

[ehunter]

OK I am the proud owner of a Dual 1229 now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA ... K:MEWAX:IT

A quick internet search gives me the impression the included stylus is not to be used for 78RPM records.

Can somebody outline some possibilities for a 78 stylus? Again, I am only interested in 78play.

[Ken Doyle]

The 78 needle for the Pickering XV-15 cartridge is a Pickering 4527 also known as Pfanstiehl 606-D3.

Note that the Pickering XV-15 cartridge is more narrow than the more common V-15 and a 1527 /604-D3 will not fit.

Unless you can find a source, you might want to switch to a more common cartridge, like a Stanton 500 series.

Ken D.

[ehunter]

I have been doing some research for those that are looking for the same type of information so here are all my notes up until now.

This web page does a Stanton-Pickering Cartridge-Stylus cross reference.
http://www.kabusa.com/STANTONX.HTM

The page says that for a XV-15 cartridge the only 78 Stylus available is a D6827. The Pickering 4527 (Pfanstiehl 606-D3) for some reason is not on that list. It should be because I found a different page validating the match.

Big difference in price, the 4527=$27. The 6827=$65

I learned that the optimum stylus choice depends on the era of 78 you're playing. Some records have a wider and some narrower grooves. Some 78 pressings even need Microgroove styli. Many middle to late 1950's 78 discs were cut Microgroove and sound killer good. Stanton 500 has the most stylus options, the Shure elliptical 78 stylus is superb on post WW II era 78 discs and has both 78 and microgroove styli available.

There are lots of guys that say they would go with the Stanton 500 -- with a cheapie 78 stylus if budget is tight to see if they really wanted to get more into 78s. Then go for the custom stylii that are available.

Turns out that Esoteric Sound and Garage-A-Records sell many different aftermarket 78 styli for the Stanton 500 body. The 500 is a popular cart for 78 enthusiasts and used ones can often be found on Ebay for under $20. One guy paid $30 for two lightly-used 500s mounted on Stanton headshells

I also found a guy that said he used the Stanton 500 with the D5127 stylus for a few years before Grado introduced the 78C. He bought the 78C soon after its release and greatly preferred it to the Stanton as it seems to roll off just enough top end to reduce surface noise. But then he found a Stanton D6827 stylus (for the 680/681 carts a.k.a. the Pickering XV-15). He now calls it his favorite 78 cart/stylus combo.

Additional Notes: The best stylii for 78s are generally custom hyperelliptical truncated tips such as offered by Expert. The sizes are around 2.8 mil for Victors from the early 30s onwards, and 3.1 to 3.5mil for earlier records and Columbias. Preferred cartridges are the Stanton 500s and the Shure M44-7. Also the V15MkIII and M95 offer a very transparent sound for records with clean grooves.

One guy wrote: My choice is the Stanton 500. It sounds great and by far has the largest number of styli available. The standard D5127 2.7 mil conical is a good performer. The Esoteric Sound / Rek-o-kut 78 elliptical styli (available from 2.0 to 8.0 mil) are good also. But in my opinion, the truncated elliptical styli from Expert Stylus are far superior than any I've used for the Stanton 500.

[Ken Doyle]

I'd like to add that to what you've found that the styli that fit the Pickering V-15 (not the XV-15) will also fit the Stanton 500, even though they look different. In other words, a Pickering 1527 78 stylus or a Pickering 1510 mono LP stylus will fit the Stanton 500.

I've used the genuine Stanton 78 stylus for the 500 cart, but I think the Pickering 1527 stylus has a slightly larger diamond and plays better on 1930s records. I have not had good results with generic styli.

If you're going to try one of the expensive custom tips, I've heard good things about the 2.3 mil truncated tip. I know that sounds small, but I guess it sometimes gets below the wear, and being truncated, it doesn't bottom out in the groove.

Ken D.

[Don Cavey]

The Stanton cartridges are very good and rugged. Used by many radio stations. The 500 series is reasonably priced.

I have a Stanton turntable and the 680HP cartridge. I was looking for a 78 stylus for it and stumbled on an entire cartridge and headshell for a song. So, I can just change the entire head.

Nice looking turntable...
_________________
Don

[45sguy]

I'm using a cheap Stanton 400 right now with a generic 3 mil tip, and I LOVE IT....

But......

I don't have any records that would require any special sized tips or truncated styli. I only have some basic 40's jazz and 50's rock and pop discs, and they sound very nice on this setup.

I would love to have the Stanton 500 and then buy that tricked-out kit of various sized tips that you can get....but they're very expensive as a set. Also, I'd have to find some discs to enjoy them with!

For now, cheap is good....and I haven't had much problem with surface noise, since these are later discs.

eric

[Ken G]

I have glued a 78 needle onto a LP needle that has gone bad . Works fine .

Remember there are alot of old 78rpm jukebox owners looking for good 78's . I always look for them myself . Never can find enough .

[ehunter]

OK now I have bought the stylus (two of them actually). Both the Pickering 4527 and the Stanton D6827 are on the way.

My next concern is the alignment and adjustment of the stylus/tone arm.

Here is where I am really fuzzy after all the years. Thirty years ago I used to have a little ruler-like tool that did some kind of adjustment but I can’t remember what. I cant find that little ruler thing anymore.

Can somebody point me to what kind of tool(s) I need to do the proper adjustments on the system I am constructing as well as checking my present turntable, a Micro Seiki DQ41 with an ADC XLM Mark III ?

[Ken Doyle]

They have arc protractors for different turntables at http://www.vinylengine.com

Ken D.

[ehunter]

Well, the Dual 1229 arrived and I am checking it out now. Just for kicks I did a quick arm balance and put a record on. It plays, although I could not adjust the anti-skate to an acceptable range. I will work on that later.

The cartridge mount was fairly close and needed a 1/32in adjustment.

Question: Not knowing anything about the Pickering XV-15 how can I find out what stylus this is using? I have come across sites showing 625e, 140e, 150, 400e, 200e, 1200e, 750e, etc. Not knowing this I have no idea if it is elliptical or spherical and how much stylus force I should be using.

Also, the 1229’s anti skate setting varies depending on whether the stylus is elliptical or spherical. What should I do from here?

There is no other writing on the cartridge other than what is shown in the photos.

[Ken Doyle]

You can see the some needle numbers in the Pfanstiehl catalog at http://www.jackstuff.com/pfans ... s/home.htm

Go about halfway down the page and click Pickering, then look at the second group from the bottom "XV-15". The original Pickering numbers and markings are listed on the far right.

I see your needle has holes drilled in the side, that means it came with a brush as shown in the picture.

If your needle has no markings, it's probably a generic replacment.

Ken D.

[ehunter]

I found a red dot on the inside of the shell. I am assuming this is a DCF-100 stylus based on the website page you posted.

It seems this is a lower quality needle compared to the others. I also don't have a feel for how much wear is on it and the last thing I want to do is go through some microscope exercise. I found the stylus adjustment to be off by 1 degree. I would think the wear pattern might start to chisel my records after correction.

I think it is a gamble to use a stylus I have little history on.

I am going to look around for a nice stylus now...

[ehunter]

I have ordered a Stanton 681 EEE MKIII 681EEE MK III 681EEEMKIII cartridge for my 33 records. This way I can compare the sound with my Micro Seiki when it gets here.

I also received my two shipments of 78 needles. One does not fit my XV-15 cartridge so something is rotten somewhere. I have to get the vendor to resolve this because the webpage says it should fit: http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant ... e=PICS4527

The other 78 fits though. I just played my first record, and all things considered, sounds pretty good!!! I have the DAK recording system and will post a WAV so you can hear it yourselves.

Parts of the turntable do not operate, the ending return, and other things. I guess I have to play with it.

[eb2jim]

[ehunter]

Thanks for the heads up on the guide issue Jim.

Now I am stumped about an anti-skate issue.

All my documentation says the Anti-skate adjustment should be equal to the stylus force.

My D6827 78rpm stylus is recommended to run between 4-5grams and people say to add on 1gram for the brush.

Problem is the Dual 1229 anti-skate knob does not go higher than 3 grams.

What do people do in situations like this?