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Can bad LPs damage good cartridges?

Just getting back into analog after an absence of many years. Got tired of seeing all those albums sitting on the shelves, plus my wife has a collection I've never heard. So I bought a Harman Kardon T-60 in like-new condition and a Forte FP1 phono stage, and now I have a Denon DL-110 cartridge on the way.

Then I started thinking ... should I use a brand new cartridge with worn, old records that were used with cheap needles and undoubtedly were slung onto the carpet, in stacks, at least a couple times?

I plan to ask for a Spin Clean Record Washer Mk II for Father's Day, so at least I'll have something to get some of the gunk out of the grooves.

But what about using the new cartridge with old LPs. Will I be risking damage?
paxpaul
15 responses Add your response
ebm
9,311 posts
 
HELLO clean all lps with record wash on VPI record cleaner.
inna
7,296 posts
 
Rega said it? I like them already. I said it here too. Yes, first use the stylus and then do the regular cleaning. Just remember to clean the stylus after that.
moonglum
619 posts
 
Ltodd..... I think the phenomenon you are referring to is induced cantilever resonance. This has nothing to do with whether the record is new or old. It has to do with "pinchwarps" (very fast warps) in the vinyl.

Also please note arm/cartridge matching had little relevance in my experience. I had a cart which measured/played almost perfectly (9.6 Hz) and still did this on selected records which I've owned from new.
Your best defence is to get another cart which doesn't react as badly.
ltodd
14 posts
 
What about records with irregular grooves? I've bought used records that caused the needle to vibrate back and forth so erratically that it jumped. Cleaning had no effect, so I figured the grooves had warped over time and were rendered unplayable.
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
Is the lack of easy VTA adjustment another one?
daverz
487 posts
 
@Wolf_garcia, that's from the Rega manual. Not the only wrongheaded idea from that company.
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
I love my Spin Clean.

Twisted logic: Somewhere somebody (maybe even a Linn manual) suggested cleaning records with the STYLUS as it would supposedly do a better job than an LP cleaner...possibly my favorite LP comment EVER.
Post removed 
syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
No. Most noise is coming from older records which have grove damage based on defect cartridge or too high VTF. Scratches aren't normally that deep that they reach the ground. A lot of distortions are based on dirt in the grooves, most can be removed with cleaning. Don't worry.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
It's actually mutual between bad styli and bad record.
daverz
487 posts
 
I suspect a record that would actually wear more on the stylus would be pretty unpleasant to listen to all the way through. This should be a natural deterrent to playing anything that could possibly cause damage.
paxpaul OP
1 posts
 
Thanks, Rodman99999. I hadn't thought of that. Still, the stylus is made of an incredibly hard metal, and dirt is ... what? Dust? Carbon? Is it your opinion that a new stylus exposed to dirty records would wear faster than normal? In the end, the cartridge I plan to use costs "only" $140.
rodman99999
6,131 posts
 
If the records have dirt melted into the groove walls(what happens when vinyl is played without cleaning); it will act as an abrasive, on the new stylus.
pops
2,273 posts
 
I have never had a problem and have had to muscle through some damage to hear my favorite music more than once.
actusreus
733 posts
 
I too had the same concern when buying used records with serious surface noise, even after thorough cleaning. From what I was told by those in the know, the groove damage from cheap styli itself should not damage the stylus. As long as the record is clean and doesn't have more serious defects such as deep scratches or chips, it should only have a detrimental effect on the sound, not the stylus. My advice would be to examine each record and make sure it does not have visible damage that could conceivably hurt the stylus.
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