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Grado "wobble"...?

I've searched the archives for info about this problem, but haven't come up with much. Can anyone please explain what exactly is happening when Grado cartridges wobble, and why they do this?

I bought a Grado green some months back, mostly as an inexpensive way to teach myself how to install a cartridge. (I've been a vinyl fan all my life, but was for years listening to it on a bland B&O linear-tracker.) Since then, I've changed tonearms (from a Thorens TP-16 to an Origin Live RB-250). When I did so, I was finally able to properly align the cartridge using the tool from Turntable Basics--the Thorens arm's fixed mounting holes precluded getting a perfect alignment. But since the change, I've experienced wobbling for the first time. It seems to happen mostly on 12" 45 RPM UK pressings from the 1980s, for whatever strange reason. I can see the entire cartridge body shake laterally, and sometimes the stylus will actually skip out of a groove.

Since this cartridge was basically intended as a throwaway, this is probably a good kick in the pants to get the new one I've been planning on, but can anyone shed some light on this phenomenon? Do the wood-bodied Grados wobble as well?

Thanks in advance,
Joshua
am_dial

Showing 1 response by raygunn

raygunn
10 posts
 
The problem is one of improper cartridge/arm matching.
Grado cartidges will resonate visually and audibly (check out what your woofers are doing during the "dance"...).
Your amp is reproducing that stuff!

As "jlazart" accurately points out, you need a medium effective mass tonearm or a tonearm that utilizes dynamic damping to get the best out of the low compliant Grados. Arm/cartridge matching is critial to getting the best performance and sound out of an analog front-end.
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