Grado Cartridge Identification

[teuchter85]

I need help identifying this old Grado Cartridge. It has a black body, with yellow (gold?) dots on either side of the stylus assembly, and the number 279 on top, which I believe is a date code (February 1979?). Research so far suggests it may be a G-1+ but I would really like to be certain. It is fitted to an SME 3009 Series 3 with the damper and I need to know the cartridge compliance to ensure that the correct paddle and fluid viscosity is used.


View media item 26213View media item 26212View media item 26211

 

[Redd House]

I don't have permission to look at the photos.

 

[teuchter85]

Sorry!...newbie error. I just changed the album permission so that it can be viewed by members. Hopefully that fixes it!.

 

[Redd House]

Looks like a 2/1979 G1+ to me. Supposedly those black body ones had higher than normal compliance - up around 35cu as opposed to 20-25cu for other Grados.

 

[teuchter85]

Great info...thanks!...if it is anything above 20 cu.s. then I need to use the black paddle and the low viscosity fluid...supposedly the series III works best with high compliance cartridges, so this Grado should be a good match

 

[seely]

Looks like a 2/1979 G1+ to me. Supposedly those black body ones had higher than normal compliance - up around 35cu as opposed to 20-25cu for other Grados.

Out of curiosity is this true of the whole Grado live at the time? I have an F3+ with a black body I don't have a lot of info on.

 

[Redd House]

Out of curiosity is this true of the whole Grado live at the time? I have an F3+ with a black body I don't have a lot of info on.

I can't say for sure but I remember Grado expert Marc Morin (RIP) saying that the black body G1+ was an oddball because it had the higher compliance than the rest of the Grados.