ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
First of all I want to thank all at this forum for the excellent help I have had in the past,
I have since 3-4 years back a SMMC4 which now started to sound abit "flat" and "dull". First of I discovered that it was collecting alot of dust which first make the sound to be muffled, now when I have cleaned the pickup multiple times it gathers alot of dust fast and even when I have cleaned it it still sounds off.
I have used the pickup rather alot and played some "bad" records, so I have been rather brute with the pickup, is it correct of me to start saving for a new pickup? Is a bad pickup more prone to pick up dust? It still plays but it sounds "flat".
Thanks in advance for input
Jesper L
Sweden
It could be gunk (as opposed to dust) coating the stylus. Take a cotton bud (Q-Tip), dampen it in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, and *very* gently brush the stylus from the back of the cartridge toward the front (not the other way). And clean your records using a Discwasher or similar brush. If you had a stylus magnifier you could check the condition of the needle but I'd guess it's still okay.
A cartridge with recessed treble often means a worn out stylus.
You could therefore return it to its manufacturer to have it re-tipped, or send it to Schallplattennedel in Germany!
Jacques
Schallplattennadeln.de - yes, Axel is the man
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Thanks all for the input, I will try the isopropyl cleaning first and then maybe send a old MMC2 for retipping since I have heard alot of good about them
Jesper
Pickup cleaner I use this one, used since 2 years on SMMC4, no problems
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
If you could ballpark the number of play hours on the stylus, that would be an indicator of potential wear.
Søren Mexico: Pickup cleaner I use this one, used since 2 years on SMMC4, no problems
Too expensive for my taste
//Bo.A long list...
I have now used some isopropyl and I think the sound is abit better now, clearer and the stylus dont gather as much dirt and dust now.
The playhours for this stylus is around 200-250 hours during the 3-4 years but that is a very rough estimate.
Will however continue use this one a while more...
Cheers
The stylus should not be worn after only 3-4 years and a few hundred hours of use.
I have a MMC2 and a MMC4 which I have had from new. They are more than 20 years old and still sounds fine. (They have not been 'heavily' used -but used regularly).Over the years I have bought some turntables with worn or broken styluses -so it's not only a matter of age.
But they should definitely last longer than 3-4 years...
Thanks too all the input here and yes I think I was easily spooked over ageing stylus :) after cleaning the stylus sound is much better and the particular record I used was prob very grimy eventho it looked very nice in daylight with no scratches.
One happy stylusowner :D