Grace 707 Tonearm - What to do with it
- Thread starter Sansui77
- Start date
Grace styli are very rare and very expensive, but I can highly recommend Needlestein's Frankencartridge service if the cartridge body actually has output on both channels, and the damper isn't turned to rock. Joel grafts a new cantilever/stylus onto the existing structure of the stylus assembly. It's not as expensive as a retipping by Expert Stylus, Garrot Brothers (if the company still exists) or Soundsmith, and the results are quite convincing. This grafting has been done (without acknowledgement as such, or, shamefully without the appropriate price reductions) by retippers who thought they could get away with it for a while - I remember complaints about it being done, and done poorly, 20 years ago. Done well, it can give new life to old cartridges without causing early death of the bank account.
I'd slap a decent inexpensive cartridge into the Grace to make sure everything works properly, and to allow you to use the thing while you find a new stylus or have it retipped. AT's 3600, which is about as cheap a cartridge as you can find, and the bargain of the century, would probably hold you until you check out the F8 and options for it, or alternatives (keeping in mind that you probably will have a line at your door of people willing to pay for the F8, which might fund your replacement cartridge. Maybe not as long a line as for the F9, alas.)
I'd slap a decent inexpensive cartridge into the Grace to make sure everything works properly, and to allow you to use the thing while you find a new stylus or have it retipped. AT's 3600, which is about as cheap a cartridge as you can find, and the bargain of the century, would probably hold you until you check out the F8 and options for it, or alternatives (keeping in mind that you probably will have a line at your door of people willing to pay for the F8, which might fund your replacement cartridge. Maybe not as long a line as for the F9, alas.)
Flhrich
Member
Hi,
You actually have a very nice top of the line f8, it the 10th anniversary edition with the aluminum top. That's right before Grace switches to the F9. The F8 was designed for the 707, F9 was made to fit more tonearm than just the 707. Very nice cartridge to have one Retipper rebuild the stylus.
You actually have a very nice top of the line f8, it the 10th anniversary edition with the aluminum top. That's right before Grace switches to the F9. The F8 was designed for the 707, F9 was made to fit more tonearm than just the 707. Very nice cartridge to have one Retipper rebuild the stylus.
I see you also have the F8-L10', the original stylus is the Advanced Luminal Trace, though not sure what the difference is over the standard Luminal Trace.
But I've acquired one F8-C cartridge with stylus, and another F8-C NOS stylus, according to any information I've been able to dig up the F8-C stylus is farther up the hierarchy ladder and it fits into the F8-L10' cartridge quite nicely.
The F8-L10' cartridge and stylus were also NOS so I've gone back and forth deciding which I preferred, the Custom stylus has just a bit more upper mids which I like so it sees more time on the arm. Not to knock the ALT stylus, it bettered my Grado wood body on the Grace arm, and the two Grace stylus are so close it really is difficulty to hear any difference.
Also have a couple of Pickering XV -15 carts and stylus that perform flawlessly on my AR and my cartridge of choice on my Thorens, but sibilance issues with certain records on the Grace arm. Both my D1200 and D625 had the same results so it seems it's just not a great match, though on paper it should be.
Also tried my Grado Blue with its OEM stylus, and the MCZ replacement, worked fine but neither were up to the wood bodied Grado, and the Grace cartridges were just that much better than both.
Good luck with your hunt, you have a great cartridge/arm combo, well worth the effort.
Flhrich
Member
I guess, if you're looking for something to tied you over.
New, in the same price you are looking at, I would go with the Shure M97xe. The two used one you listed can also be used with 707.
Read this thread, it may help you decide. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/cartridges-for-grace-707
New, in the same price you are looking at, I would go with the Shure M97xe. The two used one you listed can also be used with 707.
Read this thread, it may help you decide. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/cartridges-for-grace-707
As a "tide you over" cart, wouldn't one of the OM10s with a generic stylus on eBay be pretty decent? There was a whole thread on here about how decent the OM10 generic stylus is a while back. Compliance should be high enough to work well with the Grace.
Just an FYI but there's a F9e for sale right now in BarterTown. There's probably no better match for a 707. My 707 mk ll, F9e w/ SS Ruby OCL , TD-125 mk ll is my end game.
Sansui77
Khosaku Kikuchi's Grandson
How much is it?
I believe he's asking around $570 for it. I own a Grace F9e and it is an absolute exquisite cartridge, highly recommended. I have also owned a Grace 707 mkii tonearm that I regret selling along with the table it was with, excellent tonearm as well.
Audiofreak71
doctor fuse
Super Member
Bent caviar? SOUNDS DELICIOUS!
I've used a couple MC's with 707 with great success. AT OC9 III and AT 33SA. Might be the best I've heard on my tables, combo wise. The 707 is a fine arm, I have the same as yours, the original.
Beautiful. All aluminum except the arm rest which is the only part I'm having trouble with. If I could figure out how to precisely make the round hole with 2 flats I'd make one.
How much disassembly did you have to do to get it perfectly polished up like that?
I don’t follow. If I drill a hole the same diameter as the shaft the material to form the flats is removed. If I drill 2 holes and file the flats the radii will be smaller than the shaft.
