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
I have a Beogram 3500 and I think I have broken/lost the stylus when dusting the turntable. The tone arm just skates across the record when playing.
Could anyone advise me on how to check if I just need to replace the stylus or does the whole cartidge and stylus need to be replaced.
Also, does the cartridge just pull off the end of the tone arm or is there a fixing somewhere?
Thanks in advance
Tom
Hi Tom,
To answer the last part of your question first, the cartridge does 'just pull off' but be very careful doing this. The connection pins on the MMC 1-5 series of cartridges are very prone to damage.
Given the likely age of the cartridge the usual problem is often the cantilever - the thin tube which attaches the tiny stylus to the main body of the cartrdidge. This is prone to collapse or become brittle with age. You can tell if this is damaged or even missing without pulling the cartridge out of the arm. If it is still there and seems to be set at the approprate angle to the body of the cartridge, then it may be the stylus. However, without a stylus microscope it would be hard to judge the extent of any damage.
If it is the cantilever or the stylus, these can be rebuilt and/or retipped. There is a man in Germany called Axel who offers the service and the quality of his work is excellent. In fact you could have the cartridge revamped to an even higher specification if you wanted. Many members use him to repair their B&O cartridges. His work is very reasonably priced as well. Here is a link to his website
http://www.schallplattennadeln.de/B-O-MMC-Reparatur-Repair/MMC-Repair-English/
Cleve
Thanks for the reply Cleve. I has a look at Soundsmith in the US and they charge $199.95 for a SMM4, Axel is considerably cheaper.
Hello,
As a NKOTB, I have found this Q+A which seem approximately relevant to my query. Apologies if the answer is already somewhere else.
I purchased a 5500 tangential turntable which was missing its cartridge. Having now, after much time, sourced an MMC4, I can't fit it to the tone arm. The four pins engage in the tiny sockets correctly, but it will not push home to become securely fitted - there is always a couple of mm gap and the cartridge falls out if released. Knowing how fragile these tiny wonders are, I will be grateful if someone can tell me if there is a trick involved, or should I check for debris in the tiny sockets? The latter will not be an easy task for aged, not so nimble fingers! Any and all clues much appreciated.