Diamond & Sapphire Stylus - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Ekcoman · 16th Feb 2018, 1:50 pm

For decades have read reminders and warnings on when to replace a stylus. To this day am still slightly confused as advice on record sleeves is to consider replacing a sapphire after 100 plays and a diamond after 1000 plays and assume this is LPs

?
I have just put in the correct, according the manual, a TX88 Ronette cartridge into my lovely fully restored Pye Black Box 1004. I initially put a Ronette 105 after it came to me with BSR TC8H in it. Thought I'd go with the original manual. I put in a new old stock stylus but could only find sapphires on-line.
So gets me thinking when next to replace the stylus as don't count down each LP play and don't have a microscope. The idea of waiting until the sound indicates time up, seems a bit chancy

so your thoughts please.

paulsherwin · 16th Feb 2018, 2:07 pm

If it only gets occasional use then you can forget about it. If it's used heavily then I would just fit a diamond stylus. Sapphire styluses are pretty awful things and were only made because people wanted something cheap.

Edward Huggins · 16th Feb 2018, 3:33 pm

There are very few Sapphire replacement styli these days, most are diamond. By the way, that BSRR TC8H cartridge in your Pye 1004 was definately the wrong type. It would have had too high an output and was mono only - it would damage stereo LPs.
BUT if its working, then it's worth a small fortune in its own right for use in many Dansettes.....
You can get replacement diamond styli for the Ronette 105. Well worth buying a 12x glass as well. You'll not regret it. I would say a new diamond is good for a 1,000 sides or more.

D_S_J_R · 16th Feb 2018, 7:17 pm

I have a period (filthy as supplied) Ronette 105 and I like it a lot, despite the 8g tracking. The sound is very 'open' still and not at all shrill or dull as I suspected it might be.

Just avoid the modern copies as the very few I've tried are awful across the board sadly (the Sonotone 9TA copy was basically two ceramic elements mounted in what seemingly becomes a solid all but laminated rubber block there were so many inside and removing the natural flexure of the original elements, this before the stylus-to-element coupling which was also hard as nails compared to an original I found....

Oh, and DIAMOND every time

16th Feb 2018, 1:50 pm	#1
Ekcoman Heptode Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Southend, Essex, UK Posts: 663	Diamond & Sapphire Stylus For decades have read reminders and warnings on when to replace a stylus. To this day am still slightly confused as advice on record sleeves is to consider replacing a sapphire after 100 plays and a diamond after 1000 plays and assume this is LPs? I have just put in the correct, according the manual, a TX88 Ronette cartridge into my lovely fully restored Pye Black Box 1004. I initially put a Ronette 105 after it came to me with BSR TC8H in it. Thought I'd go with the original manual. I put in a new old stock stylus but could only find sapphires on-line. So gets me thinking when next to replace the stylus as don't count down each LP play and don't have a microscope. The idea of waiting until the sound indicates time up, seems a bit chancy so your thoughts please. Attached Thumbnails __________________ "I really am seriously downsizing "

16th Feb 2018, 2:07 pm	#2
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,966	Re: Diamond & Sapphire Stylus If it only gets occasional use then you can forget about it. If it's used heavily then I would just fit a diamond stylus. Sapphire styluses are pretty awful things and were only made because people wanted something cheap.

16th Feb 2018, 3:33 pm	#3
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 8,336	Re: Diamond & Sapphire Stylus There are very few Sapphire replacement styli these days, most are diamond. By the way, that BSRR TC8H cartridge in your Pye 1004 was definately the wrong type. It would have had too high an output and was mono only - it would damage stereo LPs. BUT if its working, then it's worth a small fortune in its own right for use in many Dansettes..... You can get replacement diamond styli for the Ronette 105. Well worth buying a 12x glass as well. You'll not regret it. I would say a new diamond is good for a 1,000 sides or more. __________________ Edward.

16th Feb 2018, 7:17 pm	#4
D_S_J_R Heptode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Suffolk Coastal, UK. Posts: 603	Re: Diamond & Sapphire Stylus I have a period (filthy as supplied) Ronette 105 and I like it a lot, despite the 8g tracking. The sound is very 'open' still and not at all shrill or dull as I suspected it might be. Just avoid the modern copies as the very few I've tried are awful across the board sadly (the Sonotone 9TA copy was basically two ceramic elements mounted in what seemingly becomes a solid all but laminated rubber block there were so many inside and removing the natural flexure of the original elements, this before the stylus-to-element coupling which was also hard as nails compared to an original I found.... Oh, and DIAMOND every time __________________ Best wishes, Dave