With a recent TT purchase along came a Grado G1+ cartridge mounted on the tonearm. It has a dark maroon and black body, overlapping GL in white letters on underside of body and G1+ Grace in silver lettering on the front of the body. Stylus is in good shape and it sounds fine. Couldn't find too much info re the cartridge other than someone claining the stylus is a shabita type, suspect it was mfg in the 1980s. Curious if it's a keeper or just an average Grado cartridge.
Grado G1+ Cartridge
- Thread starter majick47
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Go here: http://www.gradolabs.com/frameset_main.htm
Select cartridges => Select Stylus History => look up your cartridge. It's a keeper for sure
Select cartridges => Select Stylus History => look up your cartridge. It's a keeper for sure
The Grado G1+ had a nude diamond, original called "Grado Type" or "Special Grado Type", later "twin tip" but also "true ellipsoid"
The cantilever was not just straight but a tapered (conical) hardened aluminium cantilever.
There were 3 generations:
During the late F-Series:
Black body, black plate (replacement stylus) with yellow dots (the dots are important!) Black box
Grado F-1+.pdf
During the later G-Series:
Brown body, brown plate (yellow dots): Twin Tip
Last G-Series:
Brown body, brown plate (yellow dots): True Ellipsoid (Same as Grado Type or Twin Tip)
During the F-Series the Grado Type nude stylus of the F1+ and F2+ Grados were hyperelliptical but Grado never used this name but Grado type or Twin Tip
Later he called it True Ellipsoid (until now in 2026 with the Top of the Line modern Grados)
If somebody would find a bonded stylus on a G1+ or G2 (F1+ or F2 as well) then this would be a replacement from a cheaper version
and the colour removed.
If a TAN brown plate then from a GF3e+
If a black plate no dots, then from a F3E+ i.e. elliptical (those were 7x3 nude ellipticals !)
The cantilever was not just straight but a tapered (conical) hardened aluminium cantilever.
There were 3 generations:
During the late F-Series:
Black body, black plate (replacement stylus) with yellow dots (the dots are important!) Black box
Grado F-1+.pdf
During the later G-Series:
Brown body, brown plate (yellow dots): Twin Tip
Last G-Series:
Brown body, brown plate (yellow dots): True Ellipsoid (Same as Grado Type or Twin Tip)
During the F-Series the Grado Type nude stylus of the F1+ and F2+ Grados were hyperelliptical but Grado never used this name but Grado type or Twin Tip
Later he called it True Ellipsoid (until now in 2026 with the Top of the Line modern Grados)
If somebody would find a bonded stylus on a G1+ or G2 (F1+ or F2 as well) then this would be a replacement from a cheaper version
and the colour removed.
If a TAN brown plate then from a GF3e+
If a black plate no dots, then from a F3E+ i.e. elliptical (those were 7x3 nude ellipticals !)
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