Empire 7000/VI Info & Replacement Stylus (if needed)

[MacWorks]

Recently picked up a Denon DP – 1200 table with this Empire cartridge. I am unfamiliar with this older cart, and was wondering if anybody had any basic information. From the crude photographs I've taken, it doesn't look like the needle is in bad shape. If I did need to replace, what is a viable replacement stylus?

Also, what is the significance of the dot on the cantilever?

Thanks in advance for any help from the community.

 

[wualta]

Pretty sure what you have is a 7000/VII with the last I rubbed off. This was a "clone" (ie, identical in every way except for name and/or cosmetics) of the 2000X model which, despite the name, is not part of the 2000E family (eg, 2000E/III, 2000E/II, &c) but rather a derivative of the CD-4 model 4000D, produced after CD-4 left the marketplace. Finding an original Empire stylus for this cartridge will be anything but easy or cheap, so I'll shortcut to advising you to find a different still-in-production cartridge. However, if you're curious, search AK for the 2000X and you'll get more information than you're likely to want. With its original stylus, it was one of Empire's better cartridges of the late '70s.

As for the stylus you have, it appears to be a well-made generic (indicated by the color dot) of the base elliptical for a close relative model, the 66E/X, which tracked at ~1.5 gram, so vacuum that sucker off, clean the diamond with a cotton swab moistened with all-purpose spray cleaner or similar, and give it a try on a record you can easily replace.

 

[MacWorks]

Thank you for the generous post and the rich background, @wualta . It's too bad it can't be used as a back up with a fresh stylus.
I have tested the cart and it actually sounds quite good, but that's subjective.

 

[wualta]

That's encouraging, since so many generics for Empires disappoint. If you can find out where that stylus came from, you might be able to grab a fresh example.