Is it a Pickering V15 or a crustacion
- Thread starter dcmeigs
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sound hound
Super Member
And a good cleaning!
I'd guess it was used for "wet play", an unusually stupid - even for audiophiles - 70s fad playing records with wet surfaces for reduced friction. Of course, it left calcium remnants everywhere, often also on the headshell and arm. A wash with vinegar should solve what may be left.
Interesting! I wouldn't have expected air humidity to build up such a structure - to me it looked like the calcium buildup that was the worst I've come across. Obviously I'll have to delve into even deeper vintage than I've dared so far.
First, let me say that I’m new to this. I’ve viewed about a dozen styluses and only successfully photographed a few. This is about as well as I can do tonight.
Viewing a stylus through a microscope is a little tricky because the field of vision is just a few thousandths of an inch. When you inspect the diamond tip you roll the vernier adjustment as you look from the top down. It’s not really possible, at least with this microscope, to capture the entire image in one shot. It really becomes tedious when you try to capture the image with a phone camera. It’s really difficult to hold it steady; I need to try a tripod. So I posted two photos that focus on the front and back of the cantilever.
You can see a few things here. The yellow discoloration at the base of the diamond is epoxy (I assume). At the base are what look like to be very deep pits. Thay almost look like they go clear through. I didn’t notice them until I saw the photo. I reexamined them and they appear to be not nearly as notable as they appear in the photo. You can see similar ones at the back of the base of the cantilever. I don’t claim to understand, but it’s probably the lighting.
The cantilever cleaned up pretty well I think. The entire arm looks a bit like the section just behind the tip. Anything this old looks pretty rough under this kind of magnification. The cantilever is about as straight as they come. I’ll give it a listen tomorrow and tell you what I think. I also have an asterisk Pfanstiel new in the box I might open up for science and compare by ear and under the microscope scope.
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I really wasn’t kidding when I said that the photo in Post #3 is really this same stylus. The diamond is without any wear that I can see and that photo is one of the best I’ve been able to make. I think it shows the area where wear occurs quite well (almost in focus in the critical area). The line of reflected light would widen (or so I’ve read) as it crosses the flat spot of a worn tip. It also illustrates my point about depth of field.
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Check out the image in post 3. These two are in answer to malden’s request to see a larger image.
Photography is the weak link. I’m literally holding up my cell phone to the eyepiece of the microscope. The optics of the cameras auto focus refuse to focus on the point of interest. The actual image as seen through the microscope is of course very sharp.
I’ve seen images on eBay that are quite good. Check out ebay seller kurt710. He has figured out the photography angle and has some good pics.
malden
Lunatic Member
this was my question...."it would be helpful to see a couple of different angles of the entire stylus assembly"
in your first post, the seller said it was new,
one way to judge the condition of a stylus is to see the entire thing, grip, shank, cantilever and even the cartridge body it is installed in
close-ups of the stylus tip will only show its general condition, it will not reveal a worn stylus tip, you need a 200X microscope with quality optics and a specialized lighting setup
some example of photos showing the entire cartridge....
Thomas_AA
Well-Known Member
It is usually easier to see it. Good photos needs better equipment. Got tired and got me a real one.Check out the image in post 3. These two are in answer to malden’s request to see a larger image.
Photography is the weak link. I’m literally holding up my cell phone to the eyepiece of the microscope. The optics of the cameras auto focus refuse to focus on the point of interest. The actual image as seen through the microscope is of course very sharp.
I’ve seen images on eBay that are quite good. Check out ebay seller kurt710. He has figured out the photography angle and has some good pics.
malden
Lunatic Member
his photos only show the general condition of the stylus, they do not and he cannot show the actual wear of the tip
malden
Lunatic Member
here's a page of the SHURE SEK Stylus Inspection Microscope instruction manual that shows stylus wear....
these images are the product of a 200X microscope with high quality optics and side lighting showing the contact points of the stylus tip where they meet the record groove...
these images are the product of a 200X microscope with high quality optics and side lighting showing the contact points of the stylus tip where they meet the record groove...
Malden, I think you may have misread my first post. I said the seller reports that it needs a new stylus. This was meant to be a humorous understatement. I was more than a little surprised that it cleaned up as well as it did and that the diamond is in useable condition. My scope has the required capability. 
