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[WTD] Vintage Shure cartridges/styli

Tony L

Tony L

Administrator
Following on from the vintage MM cart thread I’m curious if anyone has anything I’d like to play with lurking unloved at the back of a cupboard etc.

Things I’m interested in:

A V15/III. Ideally with a decent original stylus, but I’d consider a nice condition (i.e. not ‘Linn tightened’) body as I fancy trying a Jico Basie styli at some point. Will happily pay decent money for a genuinely nice example.

Any number of original M55E styli. I’d just like to stockpile a few and will pay a decent price should anyone have any NOS examples knocking around. Happy to take a punt on good used too. I have microscopes so can assess accurately for wear.

I’d also potentially be interested in a V15 I or II, but really the III makes more sense as there is much better after-market support.
 
Hi Tony,
I have a genuine Sure V15 III Supertrack plus with the original psudo carved wood box and cardboard sleeve.
Alhough it has the original stylus, this will need replacing as the diamond parted company with the cantilever quite a while back. It was working perfectly up to that point.
It is currently mounted in an SME 3009 series ll arm on my Garard 401.

I can send you some pics if you are interested.
 
i have a few v15vMR which came from a bbc transcription dept, they’ve been opened & tested, £400 each including original stylus, can send pics? :)
 
Thanks folks. I think I’m done for a while now. I’ve ended up with a good usable extra stylus for the M55E, two V15/III bodies and a good VN35HE stylus. I’d still be interested in genuine NOS or incredibly low-use M55E styli, but I’d be surprised if any surface this late in the day. These are the only two cart types I’m pursuing at present, and the V15/III mainly to try a Jico Basie at some point in the future.
 
I hope you don't mind me butting in Tony but if anyone has a stylus for my VST-V (I think it will take a V15 V stylus but I'm not sure if the earlier models fit) I'd be very interested.
 
@Tony L

That Micro Seiki idler thats just been posted in eBay bargains has a NOS M55E fitted to it. Not sure if that's any good to you or if the seller would split.

pinkfishmedia.net

Micro MR103 idler

Interesting looking early idler deck from Micro. Looks clean but the seller says the idler wheel has perished and will need replacing. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256277740247?mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5338728743&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
pinkfishmedia.net pinkfishmedia.net
 
I have a couple of boxed styles (carved wood boxes) think one is nos the other mounted on a v15

Could come with a Thorens td150 in nice linn like walnut that needs a refresh but in fab condition

In the loft so would have to check it out if there is any interest in the cart, deck or spare nos stylus
 
I think I’m done thanks. I now have a decent VN35HE, a couple of rather worn VN35E, and the new Jico Basie. I wanted a baseline to compare the Jico against, and it has stacked-up very well so far so I don’t need to go further.
 
Just out of interest Tony are u just keen to try old stuff or does it stack up against modern equivalents
 
DarrenW said:
Just out of interest Tony are u just keen to try old stuff or does it stack up against modern equivalents
Click to expand...

The Vintage MM thread in the classic room answers most points, but the tldr is that modern MMs (Ort 2M, ATs etc) are not compatible with valve phono stages due to ‘Miller capacitance’. Vintage carts such as the Shures were designed to see 350-500pF total capacitance so match perfectly with a valve phono stage such as my JC Verdier. That is what sent me down this path. They are very good cartridges. Remember the V15/III was the high-end in its day, it cost as much as an SPU or Decca.
 
Not tried it on my rig

I have a fancy M3d I bought a while back to try as well, might give it a whirl
 
DarrenW said:
I have a fancy M3d I bought a while back to try as well, might give it a whirl
Click to expand...

Definitely worth a try, it‘s a bit of a brute from the very earliest days of stereo (may even have ben the very first stereo cart), but they can sound surprisingly good in a suitably massy arm. I ran one on a Lenco L70 I had in the second system for a while. Great fun if not especially refined. Kind of the DL-103 of MMs.
 
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