Suspensions tended to fail with long term age. They WERE great carts.
Indeed, depends on environment/storage, i am not afraid to try and after trying as much as possible NOS Stanton samples i’ve never seen one with softened suspension like those notorious Technics mk3 and mk4 low riders from the 70’s with softened suspension that can’t hold the cartridge and can’t resist even 1.25g tracking force. I think softened suspension is the biggest problem and material that Technics used was bad choise. But Stanton and Pickering choosed the right one, well maybe compliance is not that high anymore (it was 30cu), but the damper is definitely not bad, but more important the sound is so silky smooth and so pleasant, especially this one from early 90’s Walter O. Stanton Signature Collector’s Series 100 with their best Stereohedron II profile. The ONLY model from Stanton with Sapphire Coated Aluminum Cantilever. Actually Stanton made so many models and styli for all formats (stereo, mono, 78), but the cheap models are bonded. What a great brand is was until Walter sold it. Reading this old Stanton Product Catalog from the golden age of analog is a pleasure.
It’s amazing that in the late 1940’s Mr. Stanton’s slide-in stylus made it possible for users to replace a needle assembly when it wore out, instead of having to send it back to the factory.
He ran both of his companies until retiring in 1998, but Mr.Pickering wasn’t happy about it until his death, even dying in his chair Pickering mentioned Stanton in M.Fremer interview. However, even after Stanton bought and run both companies he did not shut down Pickering brand, here is the latest from the mid 90’s. It’s a strange story that identical cartridges have been made under two different brands by the same factory, the different was the design only.
Walter O. Stanton was Norman C. Pickering’s plant manager. In 1950, Walter Stanton bought Pickering & Company, the audio component manufacturer that first sold his patented stylus.
Here is another forgotten video interview with Norman Pickering.
And one mode video with him. Very interesting!
My favorite comment was from Walter Stanton, who during a large meeting with sales reps, was asked "Why do the diamond styli cost so much?"
Walter responded properly.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM WE DROP?"
Peter Ledermann
LOL
Reading some fact about Walter Stanton i found this:
"Mr. Stanton was known for holding outings on his boat near his longtime home in Laurel Hollow, N.Y., and playing jokes on employees."
BTW (since you’re all from NY area): Grado is another very old NYC family business, a person who invented stereo MC decided to go on with MI only :)) Here is a video tour. Joseph Grado Signature XTZ (from the 80’s) still my favorite MI. Its Special twin-tip Grado nude stylus still available from Grado.