Experience replacing stylus for the Shure SC39ED?

[sberger]

I don't have a SC39 cart, but my 39ED stylus fits into my SC35C cart. Any reason why this would not be a good pairing, electrically speaking?

 

[wualta]

You're doing very well if you can get the SS39ED all the way into an SC35C body! Mine goes maybe halfway and gets stopped by the 35's mounting cap.

But let's assume you've cut away the interfering plastic bits. There's an inductance mismatch between the two bodies and thus between the voicing of the respective styli. This creates a frequency-response error in the top two octaves plus an output level change. In this case, the level drops (not much, but it's noticeable) and the high treble increases (again, not a huge difference, but it's audible). Tone controls with selectable turnover frequencies are handy for correcting this, if it's objectionable to you.

 

[sberger]

Thanks for your response. I didn't have any problems getting it to fit in the SC35C body, and didn't need to cut anything. Weird.

But the inductance mismatch was quite noticeable, and ultimately the 39ED didn't sound very good. I generally don't like .2 ellipticals,(although I do enjoy my Shure M91ED) preferring .3's and .4's, and conicals, so it's not a problem. I'll probably just sell it.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

A note: Shure SC 39 series is the professional market version of the same era M 97 original family cartridges sold to the consumer HiFi marketplace. Each other's styli are compatible thusly. We're talking original M 97 here. Era IV. And when genuine runs out, Jico replacements for the M 97 original line work fine.

 

[wualta]

...I didn't have any problems getting it to fit in the SC35C body, and didn't need to cut anything. Weird...

I have old US-made 35Cs. If you have a Mexico-made one, it's possible they made subtle changes to the mounting cap. Who knows. But though my 35C doesn't like my 39ED stylus at all, it wouldn't take much carving to make the two fit.
Another possibility: If you have an M97xE that you don't particularly like, the SS39ED will fit it within a millimeter (some very easy carving will let it fit perfectly) and you'll have closer-to-flat (ie, non-"audiophile") response.

 

[wualta]

If we're fitting the SS39ED to the SC35C: I'd carve the SC35C's mounting cap, because I hate it so. But you could shave/clip the "billboard" off the SS39ED/N97ED, which will lessen the amount of carving of the SC35C.

If we're talking about the SS39ED in the M97xE, clipping off the "billboard" is sufficient. You should listen to it first. If you hear the slightest output-drop, clip. Otherwise, use as-is though it be wrong, and, as John Cleese put it, sissy.

Here's how AK's own boreas trimmed the 35C's mounting cap to fit an already-billboardless Era IV stylus (the N16):

 

[malden]

Hello,

When it comes to replacing the stylus on the Shure "Studio Series" SC39ED, I hear that the N97xE stylus will fit.

Does anyone here have experience replacing the stylus for this cart?

I am considering ordering the Jico SAS replacement but I have not been able to find any posts from folks using this or a generic N97xE, in an SC39. I emailed Jico without luck as well. Anyone using this cart with anything but the original orange Shure stylus?

Any help is appreciated!

Any N97 series stylus (not to be confused with the current N97xE) will work perfectly, without modification, in the SC39 series cartridge body.

http://www.jico-stylus.com/product_info.php?cPath=18&products_id=1033

http://www.jico-stylus.com/product_info.php?cPath=18&products_id=1034

http://www.jico-stylus.com/product_info.php?cPath=18&products_id=1035