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Old 10th May 2019, 4:07 pm   #1
Cascade
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Default How to replace stylus on a Sony HMK40A (Garrard 35SB)?

I'm struggling to replace the stylus on a Sony HMK40A music centre. The deck appears to be an unbranded Garrard 35SB. The stylus itself is a red Sony ND133G.

I have the original HMK-40A Owners Manual, and from the diagram and description it looks fairly straight forward:

1. Slide out the cartridge carrier from the headshell (done that OK).
2. Gently pull out the old stylus assembly ... I can't shift it.

The stylus assembly really doesn't want to come out of the cartridge. With the cartridge carrier upside down on my desk, I'm pulling the stylus upwards and slightly back (diagonally). I've tried prising the edges up too, in case it is some kind of snap fit, but no joy. I daren't apply more force in case I break something.

Any tips or ideas? Is there some special knack to this?

Cheers.
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Old 10th May 2019, 4:45 pm   #2
Nickthedentist
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Default Re: How to replace stylus on a Sony HMK40A (Garrard 35SB)?

Welcome!

You sound like you're doing the right things.

Look at the new stylus and see if you can work out the path it takes when being inserted into the cartridge. With the cartridge upside down, you'd certainly need to be pulling up, plus possibly back as you're doing, but maybe with a forward component of force instead... I don't know this particular cartridge, but online pics of the stylus suggest UPWARDS is the way to pull (unlike many magnetic cartridge styluses which come out forwards).

Rest assured that you may break the old stylus assembly by doing it wrongly, but that you're fairly unlikely to damage the cartridge. And that if you did, a new cartridge c/w stylus can be had for under £20.

Nick.
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Old 15th May 2019, 5:36 pm   #3
Cascade
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Default Re: How to replace stylus on a Sony HMK40A (Garrard 35SB)?

Hi Nickthedentist - thank you. Years ago I remember removing a white stylus from a Goldring cartridge - that came out forwards and was much easier. That was on a Garrard SP25 MkIII in a home made music centre my Dad made (Sinclair kit amplifier...?).

But I've got there in the end with this Sony - not sure why it was so difficult, but that stylus has probably been in place for 30 - 40 years. I inherited the music centre, and I don't think it has been used much - so the old stylus might have plenty of hours left, though there's no way of telling its condition that I know of. Thought I'd best replace it just in case.

The original (I think) green stylus is also present in a box.

It sounds quite nice to listen to. The auto mechanism is working. I've set the weight dial at the back of the arm to just over 2 (grams I guess). There's a bias slider at the back, but I've dropped that to zero as I noticed the arm skating outwards during auto-lift-off at the end of records.

I think I can hear a slight wow on long held notes, so maybe the drive belt is feeling its age. Just occasionally a channel drops out - lifting the arm and touching one of those red/green/blue/white wires at the back of the cartridge carrier brings it back, so maybe a loose wire or bad contact.

Cheers.
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Old 24th May 2019, 3:44 pm   #4
Cascade
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Default Re: How to replace stylus on a Sony HMK40A (Garrard 35SB)?

Just in case it's useful to someone else - here's an image from the Sony HMK40A Owners Manual describing how to replace the stylus:

Cheers.
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