How do you know when to replace your styli?

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-- How do you know when to replace your styli?

Posted by toxa on Mar-24-2003 16:02:

How do you know when to replace your styli?

I've heard people say once every 3 months if you play on a regular basis, but I have had mine for like 8 months and have not really noticed any degradation in sound quality.

Posted by Mister_Michel on Mar-24-2003 17:11:

Then you've got some freaky vinyls

Posted by Breeze on Mar-24-2003 17:27:

u mean the headshell right?? not the pin. i havent replaced mine in 1 year

Posted by toxa on Mar-24-2003 17:48:

I'm pretty sure I mean the pin, the headshell ur not supposed to replace until breakage

Posted by Tiger777 on Mar-24-2003 20:31:

Usually, when the shell starts skipping, then you need another shell. I think, your problem are the vinyls... Everytime you play the vinyl, a very small part if being scratched off, so, after a while, it gets damaged... Do you have the same problem with new vinyls?

(IF shell is the needle, cuz I dont understand it for 100% )

Posted by Mister_Michel on Mar-24-2003 20:42:

quote:
Originally posted by Tiger777
(IF shell is the needle, cuz I dont understand it for 100% )

The pin/needle is in the shell

Posted by Tiger777 on Mar-24-2003 20:43:

Then i did get it right

Posted by Martin McG on Mar-24-2003 23:59:

id say replace the styli and not the actual cart every 6 months or so(depending on use and needle quality), mind you saying that i need new ones as well

Posted by Jah on Mar-25-2003 03:15:

you have to change the actual cart too?
how does this work because the stylus just connects to it... doesnt really get a work out at all...
im saying this on my 3rd lot of replacing styli for some stanton 500AL IIs... should i just save up fo ra whole new better cart instead of dishing out on a new stili/cart? cause now you mention it they do skip alot...

Posted by toxa on Mar-25-2003 04:35:

A few of my vinyls started skipping when I rock them back and forth, but these are the same vinyls that skipped from time to time when i got them, and now its just more frequent. Like I said most of my vinyls don't skip when i rock them nor when they play. I guess I'll wait till its noticable.

Posted by DJ-Kuza on Mar-25-2003 15:20:

You can also see how small the pin has gotten by holding it up to the light. It'll gt smaller and smaller as if wears out. YOu can also see the orange color fading. Either way, new or old, it's putting the same aount of wear on your record. It'll just wear down 1 side instead of both.

Posted by toxa on Mar-25-2003 18:51:

What do you mean one side instead of both?
Side of what?

Posted by Mister_Michel on Mar-25-2003 20:46:

I think he means one side of the groove in your vinyl

Posted by toxa on Mar-26-2003 17:33:

How can it wear down both sides, is that possible?

Posted by Kid Lax on Mar-26-2003 23:00:

i don't see why people change their stylii so often

ive had the same ones on for the past year and they're fine, good as new (and a buddy of mine has had his on for 2 years and they're perfectly fine...he does the same thing i do)

the trick is to just keep your counterweight really light...granted if you bump the table it will skip easily but just don't bump the damn table

ive never understood people who have their needles weighted down so much when they're justp laying around at home

kills their stylii and their records

Posted by auujay on Mar-26-2003 23:10:

quote:
Originally posted by Kid Lax
i don't see why people change their stylii so often

ive had the same ones on for the past year and they're fine, good as new (and a buddy of mine has had his on for 2 years and they're perfectly fine...he does the same thing i do)

the trick is to just keep your counterweight really light...granted if you bump the table it will skip easily but just don't bump the damn table

ive never understood people who have their needles weighted down so much when they're justp laying around at home

kills their stylii and their records

I totally agree, keep those counterweights light!

Posted by Gourhellyea on Mar-27-2003 05:54:

how light do you keep them? i have ortofon djs, what would you recommend?

Posted by auujay on Mar-27-2003 08:13:

quote:
Originally posted by Gourhellyea
how light do you keep them? i have ortofon djs, what would you recommend?

I have the same ones and I use about 2 grams and more like 2.5 for recording and upto 3 when I am scratching (though I suck at it, its still fun to do every once in a while).

Posted by Gourhellyea on Mar-27-2003 15:38:

ok thanks, yea thats what i keep them at too. whenever i get new records tho i notice that the volume is much louder than my older records but maybe that is because i never clean them.

Posted by auujay on Mar-27-2003 17:39:

Remember to clean you styli with the little brush that they came with every once in a while (this mostly just gets dust off it I think). Also it is prob a good idea to clean your records with a brush and vinyl cleaner every once in a while.

Posted by The Greener on Mar-28-2003 14:06:

I seem to replace the headshell way more than the styli. It seems the gem on the styli doesn't wear as fast as the terminals in the headshell.

3 - 4 times a year, your vinyl is worth it, ain't it????

Posted by M�bius on Mar-28-2003 16:19: