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Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ.

RE: Cartridge retipping?

"Anybody ever invest in a SEM photograph of a stylus tip?"

That's just capturing an image. The problem is the required expertise in interpreting it.

Some lacking in knowledge will interpret the intentional grind of the stylus as wear. Some experts say that any wear visible is fatal and the stylus needs replacing immediately (that could be after only a few hours use), others that around 20% wear of the lower 25% of the stylus is where replacement should be considered etc. etc. There seem to be as many opinions as there are experts and all of the opinions ultimately seem to be arbitrary. The changes in stylus profiles and the changing quality and finish of the diamonds used for stylii over LP history confuses things even further.

As I have been unable to find any consistency after hours of ploughing through the subject of stylus wear I have concluded that no one really knows. The best you can get is an opinion from the original manufacturer and take the chance that he may not be entirely wrong.

"We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams


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