Koetsu Urushi stylus shape

I have visited Juergen's pages, he has a vast history with Koetsu and has used a wide range of the Models.

The best I can find is references to a Sugano Design and additional information makes the claims the forms are closely guarded secrets.

Further searching might disclose a dimension and this can be checked out for other similar forms that closely match.

As it has been made known recently on this forum not too long ago, one Styli Form is available from three different sources under different brand names, and there are also variants to the dimensions that are acceptable to produce the form, so the Styli could offer a slight differing in the presentation if one dimension is used against another?     

Dear Raul, In accordance with your earlier suggestion, I have contacted vdH about doing the re-tip.  Thus far, despite two further inquiries, I have had no response.  Which is why I am here asking this question.  I have no doubt that the Replicant would be fine.  However, I do have curiosity about what was there to begin with. By microscope examination, it does not look like a line contact type, although because it is worn, it is hard to be sure. I think I remember reading somewhere that it is a micro-ridge or in that family. I agree with you and Pindac, Koetsu takes pains to be mysterious.

Send it to Expert Stylus and you are done with.

R.

If you like your Urushi then I would wholeheartedly recommend having MoFi Distribution handle a “factory” rebuild.

Having dealt with a large number of new & rebuilt Koetsu pickups over the years I can say their rebuilds look like they were built by a robot with better than new alignment/geometry. Highly recommended. No affiliation.

Hi Lewm,

If you want to keep the characters of the Koetsu, I caution you on using aftermarket retippers, especially VDH!

Just to share my experience, about 20 years ago, I bought a used FR64S and the seller also sent me a vintage long body Koetsu rosewood without the cantilever.  Not knowing whether I would like the Koetsu sound at the time, I opted to send the rosewood to VDH, instead of Koetsu, for retipping. The returned cartridge worked and sounded fine, but it didn't have the famous "warm" sounding which Koetsu cartridges were known for.

A few years later, my friend loaned me a, then current, Koetsu rosewood for comparison. This newer rosewood sounded a lot warmer than mine. So, I am pretty sure the retip by VDH did change the character of the rosewood, more like in between a Koetsu and a VDH. Personally, I liked the VDH retipped rosewood better, but if you are looking to keep the Koetsu character, the VDH retip probably would not fit you.

Bests,