Looking for Info on Cartridge

[SleepyTheOwl]

Hey guys, I'm new here.

I just got my first TT, a Technics SL-D3, and it came with an Empire cartridge the seller identified as a 785GT. (Pictures attached.) I've scoured the web and done searches on your site trying to find any info on this cart, and I've come up short. After reading the manual for my TT and other sources online I got to the point where I want to set the tracking force on my tonearm, but without any info on the recommended weight for my specific cartridge I'm a bit lost. Is there a recommended weight to set it to when one lacks this information? There wasn't anything in the manual.

Also, I know there's an Empire cartridge thread, so if it would be better for me to inquire there, please let me know.

 

[wualta]

1.25g is where I'd start. You have a very good moving-magnet cartridge there. The cantilever is gold-coated, supposedly to damp unwanted vibrations but also to drain off static charges. I have no information about the cut of the 785GT's diamond, but the effective tip mass is very low-- it should track well at 1.25g if the diamond isn't worn. Get a good hand magnifier and make sure the diamond is perfectly clean, and try it out.

This cartridge was made for Empire by a Japanese manufacturer as part of a series Empire called GT or "Golden Touch". This one came along after Empire stopped making their own cartridges sometime in the mid to late '80s.

Thanks for the photos. I wasn't aware of this particular model. It's the only Japanese-made Empire I've seen that's explicitly a GT model, though there are others, using the same Japanese body, that came with gold-plated cantilevers (eg, 1085 LT).

 

[SleepyTheOwl]

Thank you so much for your response. I'm going to check the diamond tomorrow, but just eyeballing the whole cartridge right now I would guess it probably won't be entirely clean. If that's the case, what's the best way to clean it without causing any damage?

And I'd be happy to provide some better pictures should anyone want to see it better, especially after I clean it. These were just photos from the seller.

 

[wualta]

Some better photos would be much appreciated!

An eyeliner brush (anything small with ~6mm bristles) moistened with 90% isopropyl (or denatured) alcohol usually does the trick.

Styli that fall into your lap from the outside world vary tremendously in the amount and type of crud adhering to them. Some you can simply brush off with one of the inexpensive (<$10) little carbon-fiber stylus brushes that look like this:

Some, however, need a couple of cycles in an ultrasonic bath. This is why a cheap (<$5) but good hand magnifier (60X is the sweet spot) is an extremely handy tool to have. High quality phono playback is very dependent on stylus and groove cleanliness. Lots and lots of threads here on AK on both subjects. Some cartridge makers forbid the use of alcohol to clean their diamonds, but the Empires are safe.

Good luck-- I hope your diamond is in good shape.