Thanks for your post. The problem with vintage cartridges is that unless they have been traveling at a substantial fraction of the speed of light, they have aged - and part of that depends on the environments they are/were in, and also on the specific formulations used for damping materials. I have even seen NOS EPC451 SG units (Panasonic) where the ultra thin aluminum cantilevers are mainly corroded - just by time/environment.
Damping materials are VERY tricky. I have the distinct advantage of personaly having rebuilt many, many thousands of cartridges. THAT is an education for which there is no equal, or shortcut. I have seen some damping materials in MC designs turn to cracked stone in 2 years, ones I assume worked extremely well when new. Others are 40 years old and work perfectly. I am very, very careful to use formulations in my designs that are proven to last 20-30 years or more. Are there a bit better materials that have somewhat better visco-elastic properties right out of the box? Sure. You bet. Will I use them? No. I get away with NOT using those unproven materials because when you reduce the moving mass dramatically as I have done and cannot be done in MC designs, damping becomes orders of magnitude easier and more efficient. A win-win.
So there is no telling - even if I DO tell you of some I love, how you will find good ones? It's like hooking you up with an old girlfriend who is looking for love that I have not talked to in 30 years. I have no idea what time has done to her. Its certainly done a hell of a job on me.
So forgive me my vagueness - I just don't want to misdirect. What I CAN tell you is what a wonder it is to find a well designed MM, MI or MC that HAS been traveling at 3/4 the speed of light, and after rebuilding, it plays so well........
Peter Ledermann - (NOT aging so gracefully in certain respects)
Damping materials are VERY tricky. I have the distinct advantage of personaly having rebuilt many, many thousands of cartridges. THAT is an education for which there is no equal, or shortcut. I have seen some damping materials in MC designs turn to cracked stone in 2 years, ones I assume worked extremely well when new. Others are 40 years old and work perfectly. I am very, very careful to use formulations in my designs that are proven to last 20-30 years or more. Are there a bit better materials that have somewhat better visco-elastic properties right out of the box? Sure. You bet. Will I use them? No. I get away with NOT using those unproven materials because when you reduce the moving mass dramatically as I have done and cannot be done in MC designs, damping becomes orders of magnitude easier and more efficient. A win-win.
So there is no telling - even if I DO tell you of some I love, how you will find good ones? It's like hooking you up with an old girlfriend who is looking for love that I have not talked to in 30 years. I have no idea what time has done to her. Its certainly done a hell of a job on me.
So forgive me my vagueness - I just don't want to misdirect. What I CAN tell you is what a wonder it is to find a well designed MM, MI or MC that HAS been traveling at 3/4 the speed of light, and after rebuilding, it plays so well........
Peter Ledermann - (NOT aging so gracefully in certain respects)