Does a cartridge that has been in storage for an extended period need play time…

To help with Cartridge Break In and loosen up to assist with optimizing a Suspension, I have in the past been given an advisory on a method to save the stylus usage during the process.

This requires that the the stylus when mounted on the Tonearm is placed onto a non rotating LP.

I have a Device that produces a vibration and I set it in a Position such that a very mild vibration sensation is transferred and able to be detected through the LP.         I then observe the Stylus to see if the part seems unaffected by the vibration being encountered. As long as the stylus is not showing any obvious movement to the eye, I continue with the level of vibration selected.

This will save the Diamonds User Life whilst gently transferring energy through the suspension, and assisting it to become pliant when in use.

I have done this on Two occasions, of which one was for approx' 4 Days on a New Cartridge and the other being a Half Day on a used but Long Term Stored Cartridge.  I am not aware of any unwanted effect on a Cartridge by using this method. 

Currently I am using two ’long stored’ cartridges, and surprisingly, they both sound great.

Played a few hours for a few days, then started listening critically. I assumed the rubber/whatever the cantilever passed thru would be dried out/hardened/inflexible. Perhaps oxidation of internals.

My MM, AT440ML, very lightly used, stored loose in a baggie in a drawer since Shure V15VxMR came out around 2003/2004. I had to use several spritzes of brake cleaner to get the aluminum cantilever clean. Luckily the tip was not glued on. I figured, it’ll work or it wont. Damn thing sounds great.

Friend’s New, never played MC, Goldring Eroica LX, new in box in the drawer for many years. Luckily it looked clean under microscope, I wouldn’t spritz someone else’s cartridge. Same thing, play a few hours a few days, then start listening for real. It sounds very much like my new MC AT33PTG/II. Perhaps differences, but I don’t want to wear it out. He listens to it here until he gets a SUT.

I will say, same LP’s, the Eroica’s Gyger II Stylus tip tends to hold onto junk more than any stylus tip I ever owned. I need to clean it every play. My other’s, SAS and ML might only get a speck of dust playing a/the same clean LP previously. I think the shape front to back must have surfaces closer to the edge that the ML profile, i.e. something to stick to rather than to fall away from.

Oh yeah, I have rubber restorer I use for rollers on tape recorders. My AT440ML: I put a tiny bit on the intersection of the cantilever into the body with a tiny brush, left a few minutes, then a whiff of compressed air... not to my friends.

I regularly wake up my cartridges by playing bands 2a,b, and c, of the original Cardas test LP. (The latest version does this at 45 rpm on side 1.) if that doesn’t help, you may have a problem with suspension. On the other hand, I own many 30+ year old cartridges and all but one have had no problem.

recommended overhang is determind by your tonearm ,

when I was using my sonata and master I had to raise the tonearm 

to keep the correct VTA .