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Stupid question??? - does the tip of a stylus wear out?

retseldrib

retseldrib

pfm Member
As the title says?

My understanding is that the tip of a stylus is harder than vinyl so they should not wear down?

I also understand that vinyl debris can embed itself on the tip of a stylus but if it is cleaned regularly and clean vinyl used then surely this would not happen?

I guess the cantilever can lose its rigidity over time - is this why cartridges are replaced?
 
Nothing is going to embed itself in a stylus.
"Debris" in the groove will act as an abrasive to a greater or lesser degree though. Somewhere onlione you will also find the huge pressure on the minute area of contact of any stylus with a record groove.

Water wearing away rocks is not really the case, by and large - rocks are rolled, dissolved by any acid or alkali in the water and bombarded with silt and sand (very small rocks) carried by the water.
Unlike a stylus, no natural rock is anything like flawless either.

Knives get blunt no matter what they cut although butter might take a while to remove the edge of a kitchen knife.
 
Not a stupid question and yes the stylus finally wears and loses shape. This can be anything from 400 hours to 2,000 depending on shape and who you believe.
 
Maybe alo worth mentioning - to see any wear, you need at least a small number of 100's times magnification, so a microscope, and better than a cheap USB one too.

A hand lens/loupe will reveal how dirty a stylus is, but not how worn (or not) - you also need something to compare to as well, in an ideal world.
 
Sapphire is also harder than vinyl but not more than diamond. Why do you think diamond lasts longer?
 
The shape of a good stylus tip is very fine and precise. The whole stylus does not wear down but because the profile that touches the record is so fine it does not not have to wear very much for it to no longer work properly.

So when we talk about a stylus wearing out it's actually a small change but because of the nature of the thing, a significant one.
 
Mr Pig said:
The shape of a good stylus tip is very fine and precise. The whole stylus does not wear down but because the profile that touches the record is so fine it does not not have to wear very much for it to no longer work properly.

So when we talk about a stylus wearing out it's actually a small change but because of the nature of the thing, a significant one.
Click to expand...

Thanks - that makes sense now and seems so obvious.
 
retseldrib said:
I guess the cantilever can lose its rigidity over time - is this why cartridges are replaced?
Click to expand...
I don't think cantilevers lose rigidity. But the suspension could sag over time. This is one reason for refurbishing or replacing the cartridge. But mostly, it is due to worn stylus.
 
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