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Replace stylus on old AT12XE, or go for new cartridge....Thoughts please!!

Tonewheelkev

...I can dream!!
An older friend has tasked me with 'servicing' a Thorens TD124/II and SME 3009.
He was the original buyer from '66...but not now really a HiFi fan....so the emphasis is just that I get it going again.

It currently has an AT12XE cartridge...and the stylus assembly has literally fallen apart in my hands.
Is it worth seeking out a stylus for this....or should I look for something current, like AT95?? (Doesn't have to be Audio Tech BTW)

Thinking 'functional' rather than state of the art here!
Any thoughts please....with 'bang for buck' in mind!!:)
 
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Assuming that your friends TD124/II hasn't seen any attention since having a cartridge change in the 1970s, then there are likely to be bigger fish to fry than simply a replacement stylus. After all of these decades, there are a number of things that should be tended to before putting the deck back into service, even if only for occasional use.

If you haven't already done so, the first step would be to download the service manual from here. Although many of the assessment steps within the first 6 pages present a bit of a 'catch 22', in that they require a functioning phono cartridge, the 'Service Procedures' beginning on page 7 should give you some idea of what needs doing.

Also, Tony L has posted details of his journey restoring his TD124/II on here, with plenty of photos and info re parts sourcing, etc.

P.S. If you must start (end?) with a cartridge, then Jico do the best aftermarket replacements for those A-T models that A-T no longer supply styli for. Their ATN12XE equivalent is $US 50. Otherwise, a new AT-VM95C or VM95E phono cartridge will do fine. The closest match at the least price is AT-VM95EN 'nude' elliptical, with the virtual exact match cartridge being AT-VM530EN.
 
Assuming that your friends TD124/II hasn't seen any attention since having a cartridge change in the 1970s, then there are likely to be bigger fish to fry than simply a replacement stylus. After all of these decades, there are a number of things that should be tended to before putting the deck back into service, even if only for occasional use.

If you haven't already done so, the first step would be to download the service manual from here. Although many of the assessment steps within the first 6 pages present a bit of a 'catch 22', in that they require a functioning phono cartridge, the 'Service Procedures' beginning on page 7 should give you some idea of what needs doing.

Also, Tony L has posted details of his journey restoring his TD124/II on here, with plenty of photos and info re parts sourcing, etc.

P.S. If you must start with a cartridge then Jico do the best aftermarket replacements for those A-T models that A-T no longer supply styli for. Their ATN12XE equivalent is $US 50. Otherwise, a new AT-VM95C or VM95E phono cartridge will do fine. The closest match at the least price is AT-VM95EN 'nude' elliptical, with the virtual exact match cartridge being AT-VM530EN.

Yes...realise that there's more to this than a stylus!!
Have DIY'd mushrooms, removed motor, cleaned lubricated relevant points and replaced the capacitor (which had gone continuous!)....haven't got around to an IEC socket yet though.

Ordered a JICO stylus from Scott...having checked the AT12XE on a multimeter (chancing that will be a good enough test)

Still have the 3009 arm to fettle tho'....arm looks in excellent nick....but sits in the hand like a bag of chisels....everything loose....which can't be right??? :)
 
Yes...realise that there's more to this than a stylus!!
Have DIY'd mushrooms, removed motor, cleaned lubricated relevant points and replaced the capacitor (which had gone continuous!)....haven't got around to an IEC socket yet though.

Ordered a JICO stylus from Scott...having checked the AT12XE on a multimeter (chancing that will be a good enough test)

Still have the 3009 arm to fettle tho'....arm looks in excellent nick....but sits in the hand like a bag of chisels :)
Ah, sounds like you are well on your way, then!

IME, as long as the cartridge pins are sound, and the Rch -ve to metal can measures less than 1 Ohm (but not open circuit) then the generator will be fine.

Have fun!
 
Ah, sounds like you are well on your way, then!

IME, as long as the cartridge pins are sound, and the Rch -ve to metal can measures less than 1 Ohm (but not open circuit) then the generator will be fine.

Have fun!
Great....assuming that's the Green pin.....Have a reading of 0.2 Ohms
 
Yes, green to shield for most makes.

Meant to add that between Rch +ve and -ve and Lch +ve and -ve (across pins red/green and white/blue respectively) you should see a reading circa that of the phono cartridges rated DC resistance. Should this be unknown/unpublished then for MM cartridges expect a reading between 100 and 10000 Ohms. As long as both channels read more or less the same value then all should be fine.

audio-technica VM models from this period have a published DC resistance of 1200 Ohms (but for the Shibata 'Sa' model being 500 Ohms to help optimize CD-4 'electrical' extension up to 45kHz).
 
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