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Off center (not bent!) stylus?

Relative newbie here - just looking for some thoughts / experiences from all you resident experts. 

I have been buying used carts for my vintage setup exclusively. It certainly seems like every stylus is not perfectly parallel with the cantilever and always seems to lean ever so slightly to one side or another. Seems like new ones can be like this too. So I assume a bit of a lean is normal / not an issue.

My question is, is there a limit to this? Can a more extremely off center stylus cause problems in sound quality / record damage? Could it be a sign that the stylus / cantilever assembly is about to fail? Or is it more a matter of if you don’t hear anything wrong don’t sweat it.

Here are some pics of what I’m talking about:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/m2m9FhU9VumD6uss6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kMLyfhba4pFxKMGJ7

Again I don’t see any visible bend or kink in the stylus. The stylus itself is straight but i comes out of the cantilever at an angle. 

Any experiences (positive, negative or neutral) with this? 

Thanks in advance!

Hauie
hauie88

Showing 5 responses by whart

whart's avatar
whart
3,143 posts
 
They aren't the same as the original. Peter did re-do my Airtight Supreme without changing the cantilever, but sticking a fresh stylus tip in the factory cantilever, but even that may change the sound. (I have not mounted it since it came back, it's sealed up in an airtight container). 
Nonetheless, there are people who would say, for $XXX, I've still got a great cartridge at a fraction of the cost of what most high end cartridges cost today- which in my estimation is nutty money (though I use them and with one Koetsu, sent it back to the factory, which isn't cheap). 
As to this Pickering, I haven't a clue. You'll probably spend more on a retip than you did on the cartridge in this case, I'm guessing. And there will be a wait. 
whart's avatar
whart
3,143 posts
 
I wouldn't play a record with a cantilever canted that much. Out of curiosity @millercarbon, do you own a Soundsmith cartridge? I know you cite to him constantly but have you ever even talked to the man?
I suspect if you sent that pic to Soundsmith they would tell you it's too far gone. Since it is apparently a user replaceable stylus, what's the cost? Are they still made? I remember the cartridges from that era and they certainly didn't come out of the box looking that way. There are any number of reasons why that thing is skewed. 
whart's avatar
whart
3,143 posts
 
@hauie88- our member @chakster seems to be a guru for these old gems so he may know what the replacement stylus market is like for this piece. I think Mr. Pickering only died a few years ago, but it's been years since I played with one of their cartridges. (Chakster is not a fan of retips, based on reading his posts).
 Usually, SS ask you to send the cartridge and pay, I dunno, $75 bucks American for an actual inspection, but they may be willing to look at the photos and give you a reaction. I was willing to put up money on a bet with MC as to SS's response, but I think it's better spent on the cartridge, not just a 'who's right' thing. Will be interested in SS's response. 
whart's avatar
whart
3,143 posts
 
Keep in mind that those needle drops may leave a click in the record (even when the stylus/cantilever is fine, that's a risk, unless you are dead-eye on the space between tracks). Thom/Galibier explained the issue very clearly in terms of the skew of the motor assembly; his point re the condition of the stylus itself is a good one. The angled cantilever is a little like having a misaligned drive shaft between your motor and the differential/wheels. If it isn't straight on, when running the road (grooves) it isn't going to behave smoothly. And could result in mistracking and explain why you lost signal in one channel. 
It's all good to experiment and have fun but I'd be cautious about damaging your records. I also don't know anything about the quality of replacement stylus assemblies, such as those sold by 3d parties. @chakster would be your man among others on that question. Good luck!
whart's avatar
whart
3,143 posts
 
@hauie88--Nope. Back in the day, I often only listened to a selected track or two from an album, then flipped to something else. I was pretty careful to drop in the dead space between tracks, but I'm human and that's an imperfect process. 
These days I do tend to listen to full sides, particularly since a lot of what I've been listening to is '70s spiritual or soul jazz and some of the tracks can take up a whole side. I will still, on occasion, do a needle drop of single track though. (I've become less dogmatic about a lot of things in my dotage). 
My concern was exacerbated by the problem(s) with your cartridge--not just aiming, but the potential for mistracking and needle dropping with a skewed cantilever could make matters worse in terms of damage to the record. 
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