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Willing to be proved wrong.

After reading so many threads and so many arguments, I'm willing to concede that maybe I'm wrong. My turntable, an old Garrard DD75 has been sitting in the basement since I got my first cd player. I've also got a lot of vinyl stuck away. I've had chances to sell it, but somehow never could. My question, is, what do I need to do to get this TT going again. It still has a Stanton 681EEE cartridge, and according to the strobe, still runs true. I've put a lot of money into this hobby in the last year, so if you're going to tell me to buy an expensive new TT, forget it. I'm willing to get a new cartridge, but have no idea what to get now a days. It used to be Shure, Ortofon, Empire. I'll also need a pre-pre amp of some kind, but have read threads about a battery powered one from Rat Shack. I would appreciate any help.
elmuncy

Showing 1 response by sdcampbell

sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
Your old Stanton cartridge, while good in its day, is probably due for replacement since it is very likely that the rubber components in the cantilever suspension are deteriorated due to age. It's possible that you can find someone that can rebuilt the 681EEE, but I doubt it makes much sense financially.

The tonearm on your Garrard turntable is not a very sophisticated model, so it does not make much sense to buy a top-end cartridge for it. Something like your Stanton should be fine, as would a Shure M95ED, or one of the less expensive Grados.

I think you'd be best advised to contact either Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor, or Garage-a-Records (which is often cheaper than the Needle Doctor), to get their suggestions on a good moderately-priced cartridge that will work well with your TT/tonearm setup. Here are the Web links:
1. Needle Doctor: http://www.needledoctor.com/
2. Garage-a-Records: http://www.garage-a-records.com/
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