Use of a splint when changing cantilever and stylus


There’s a thread on another forum claiming that a well-known cartridge repair person sometimes uses an internal brass splint to join a new cantilever to the stub of the old one. Participants are horrified by this as it is said to ruin the sound of the cartridge. On the other hand, this repair person has an excellent reputation, and I have been delighted with work done. I don’t think there is any benefit in naming names and casting aspersions, so I shall not.

Is this a common method of attaching a new cantilever, and if so is there a better splint material to use?

dogberry

So the idea is he aligns the old and new cantilevers end to end then bridges the joint with a brass splint, in the sense of a splint used to promote healing of a broken bone? Why brass when one could use a rod made of some typical cantilever metal, like aluminum, boron, titanium, etc?

As I understand it, the brass splint is internal, inside the hollow cantilever, like a Kuntscher intramedullary nail passed through a femoral shaft fracture.

 

A setup for infection. (ID sub specialist here).

what do other retippers do when they install a cantilever cum stylus?

I don't think I've heard of the internal method of joining.

I've heard some talk of a 'sleeve' type of joint for broken cantilevers, or a 'telescopic' method, inserting one into a stub or what's left.

I would think instead of an internal 'splint' most re-tippers would just replace the whole thing.  The only hollow cantilever I've heard of is aluminum as I read that boron or beryllium tubes are no longer made.

I would just email the person and ask, or just find someone else.

This site shows a variety of replacement cantilever/stylus assemblies. They all appear to use a hollow tube which would snug onto the "stub" (what is the term for this?) of the old cantilever. It seems to me that there is little need for a splint:

https://orbray.com/en/product/jewel/product/cantilever.html

 

Was the "splint" technique-- using cactus needle(?) from a thread on the Lenco forum? I know you mentioned brass as a splint....

 

 

No, it's a UK forum. Some re-tippers have found difficulty sawing off a cantilever previously replaced and found a brass splint inside.

The Service under scrutiny is difficult to find anything concerning about whenit comes to the Coil Repairs and Cantilever and Styli replacements where a Solid Cantilever is used.

The repair that I have been informed about recently in a private conversation and the one that I am aware has caused contention from another Third Party Build Service, is the Brass Splint Insert, using an Armatures Projection Tube as a Sleeve  and a Hollow Cantilever as the other Sleeve.

Images seen may/may not tell the true story as the images shown are specifically isolated to Aluminium Tube Cantilever. Which in my view is not the most common of requests for a Cantilever.

Brass as a repair on a Metal Cantilever formed as a Tube is not alien, the Bristle from a Brass Bristle Brush has been advice found during Web Searches.

A Brass Brush Bristle does not cause myself any concern, an individual thats to do a home botch of a repair, they get extended experiences of creating music on the cheap, what not to like. 

Where the line is crossed, is when a Professional Service, is offering such a method and charging for it. The adding of the Brass Material to the critical part to transfer Styli energy, is to really interfere with the science tht is underlying in the design for the Phono Cartridge.

The inclusion of Brass is going to introduce unaccounted for mass, as well as all new parameters frequencies very well known from solely using Aluminium.

Ultimately the energy being transferred, prior to getting to the Coil and converted to a Electrical Signal is substantially Adulterated. The generated electrical signal will be far far from the Truest of Signal to be sent for further stages of amplification.

The Question is does a Cart' with a Cantilever Spliced with a Brass Insert, qualify to be referred to as a equivalent, in relation to what was present prior to the Professional Service Modification being carried out.

If equivalent is the end product as a result of the Professional Service Modification, , then in Marketing Spiel, the Product produced is acceptable as a design, even though far from ideal when assessed from other perspectives.  

Caveat Emptor is ones friend in many things Audio.

I wonder if any Customer ever inquired what was they to receive as a returned Cartridge, not limited only to the Styli Form that was to be used.

I would not hesitate to have the Service being discussed here, thoroughly clean a Cart' fix a damaged coil, supply a New Cantilever or Styli Form. I follow there work, know the quality produced in comparison to other work followed.

I would not be asking any service to use a Brass Insert, no matter how much I valued the hollow cantilever and wanted to maintain it s usage, or would I like a  Service to use a Brass Insert on a Hollow Cantilever of any type or with sentiment attached.

I agree that it seems a bad idea to use the brass insert.  It is also interesting that most customers of the anonymous retipper are nevertheless happy with the results, or so we are told.  That's a conundrum or testimony to the value of subjective judgements in this hobby or an example of expectation bias, or all 3.

I have formed a view over a long period of meeting individuals, especially meeting those who have developed a recent inquisitiveness and have spread their wings a little to encounter new experiences.

It has become my view, that when a person has been insular for a long time in their experiencing audio equipment and music replays. Many/Most Individuals are contented in their being able to listen to music in a controlled manner that is attractive to their wants for being entertained.

Much of the interest in audio is fed through means other than experiencing further types of options for audio devices to be used. The means selected to further experience is usually attained through written info on devices being assessed for audio usage.

There are quite a few who thoroughly enjoy having and using a audio system, but through being insular in their audio interest,  are not with the knowledge of other systems in use and how these create a impression. This lack of experience denies an individual in understanding how their own system gauges in Capability, Presentation, Performance as a Comparison.

Many individuals have a system that produces music, and that is excellent, the likelihood they have a system that offers the attributes that really get ones attention and a level of replay to strive for is quite unlikely, one has to be very very lucky to win the Lottery on a once only Ticket Purchase.

One has to be very very lucky to create an audio system that delivers in a way that is extremely desirable by making limited purchases, along with making equipment changes as a result of a report offered as a result an assessment of a audio device. 

The Splicing of the Cart's Styli falls into the above, the Cart' when returned to owners have been quite attractive in general, I very much doubt all who received a Cart' produced with this method have been discontented, the idea of music being produced on a satisfying budget, has been the pleasing outcome.

It does seem strange that the questioning the Methodology has only been raised when alternative technician made the discovery, and has assessed the practice as being unacceptable based on their knowledge of a Cart's design requirements.

This assessment does not mean in any way there is a large number of owners of Cart's repaired with the Brass Insert that are unhappy with the Cart' in use.

It would take a side by side experience of a Same Cart' design, with one example in optimal condition and the other as per the repair under question to really enable the repaired Cart's owner, to discover how such a difference effects their perception of what is a quality performance.