this, from Stereophile review of Shure V15V IV about Shure’s DAMPED brush

"The Damping Brush
The V15-IV is equipped with a small, fine-bristled brush mounted directly in front of the stylus and pivoted via damped hinges. The pickup can be used either with the brush raised and locked out of the way, or lowered so that the brush rides in the grooves. The brush is supposed to serve two purposes: To hold the cartridge directly over the average groove path, and to absorb warped-disc undulations. The result is a reduction in inward pull (due to the arm’s offset angle), effective damping of the arm/cartridge resonance in both the horizontal and vertical planes, and reduction of spurious subsonic interference as a result of warps and groove eccentricities. Not surprisingly, it is highly effective in accomplishing its goals; surprisingly perhaps, it does these things without producing a trace of background noise due to the brush’s contact with the disc—normally."

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Jico Shure replacements have a brush, but they are NOT DAMPED. Like Shure’s you can play with it up or down.

My Shure V15VxMR body, (I broke the beryllium) I use a Jico SAS on Boron Cantilever, non-damped brush, use up or down.

I got clever, bought a Shure 97xe (my favorite Elliptical) with a damped brush. Had Steve at VAS re-fit it with an advanced stylus on boron. Now I am the only person I have heard of with 97xe with an advanced stylus. AND, it fits my Shure V15Vxmr body! Thus I can have a damped brush on either V15Vxmr body or 97xe body.

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There is no way I would buy an Elliptical for your cartridge, the performance of the body's magnet ... separation, channel balance will be retained, and the advantages of an advanced stylus shape are gained. I use the same light tracking force the Shure’s have, also advantageous for both stylus and groove wear.

AND I will not use or pay for anything stiffer than Boron, they are too delicate. I have a vintage Sumiko Talisman with Sapphire cantilever, my 75 year old hands are very careful messing with it.

Yes, brush down, you add .5 grams to tracking weight measurement, move brush up for measurement: measure 2.0 grams, brush down, you will get 1.5 grams. (Shure calculated that the brush pushes up .5g)

Thus you set anti-skate at 1.5 grams, not 2.0.

I use the blank side of an LP to set anti-skate visually, you can check it when playing a warped LP with the brush dn, re-check when playing with the brush up, the majority of the time. Don’t trust the anti-skate dials, you will find that they are not accurate most of the time.

Down for anti-static even if LP not warped? You can check, see if it makes a difference, if so, play with it down, make above measurements

search Amazon:

Hudson Hi-Fi Turntable Cartridge Alignment Protractor Mat (Single-Sided Print, no Strobe Included)

br3098

you make some good points.

many of the new LPs I buy surprisingly have minor warps, brush not needed if minor, but some existing LPs with real warps you want the brush. A quickie adjustment of tracking force and anti-skate needed.

anti-static/keep it clean:

IF it takes static away, that’s worth using it. No advantage, use it up. If it picks up stuff, then the LP is not that clean, the air is full of tiny dust you can only see when in a sunbeam, or a new stylus that goes deeper in the groove is ’digging’ junk out of the grooves that elliptical shapes don’t reach. Next play, less junk to dig out. IF that happens, clean your stylus thouroughly. Next: clean your old LPs more aggressively.

I scrub the heck out of my old lps with a baby scalp brush

Keeping the cartridge brush clean, easy when you have steady hands, gotta be more careful these days, I clean the brush with the styus cleaning brush.

Having good light and a mirror to see/reflect light makes the job easier, you can see if whatever got off the stylus or brush.

I use a makeup magnifier mirror, this one from Amazon seems clever. I cannot post links, just copy and paste this in Amazon search

30X Magnifying Mirror, Small Magnifying Mirror with Suction Cup and Tweezers, As a Travel Mganifying Mirror, Compact Mirror Set for Plucking Eyebrows 3.5 Inches

gotta love the mispelling

And a lamp with light coming in from the side, off/dimmer/on/off to have no hum risk. Remove the suction cups, place/leave the mirror under the stylus when in the rest, then you can tilt the mirror this way and that, lift the arm, light on, easily see what is where.

Elliptical stylus are definitely ’less fussy’, what that really means: the advanced stylus shapes (SAS, Shibata, Geyer, Van den Hul, Microline ....i.e., close to cutter blade shape) are very important to get right in ALL respects. Azimuth very important to get in/down in the groove. Better get the anti-skate right!

I agree, a brush should not slow a platter down.