Dear chakster, from our discussion about Technics 205 series and
AT 180, 170, etc. series I can only conclude that you never
disassemled any of those styli. If you deed you could see how
those are constructed and then ''grasp'' what an retipper can and
not can do. I retipped only one of my all MM carts. The reason is
the way this is done. Symple gluing the ''tubed'' aluminum cantilever
above the ''restant'' of the original cantilever.
All AT ''styli'' have the same construction. But the cantilever is
fastened and centered with the tension wire to the tube behind.
All MC carts use tension wire to connect the moving parts with
the damper and the rest of the generator . But by MM carts this
tension wire can't be removed or repaired. So the so called
''retip'' is limited to gluing an new cantilever above the rest of
the ''old cantilever''. Consider than the problem from retipper
side. A boron ( rod) cantilever can't be glued on the restant
of the old cantilever without the help of an aluminume tube as
bridge between the parts. Besides whatever boron kinds can't
be connected with the tension wire behind the original cantilever.
So advising co-members about possible retip without any idea
about what can be done and what not is very curious act based
on assumptions or rather speculations. The involved efforts
and costs are then for the member who asked advice.
Because all AT styli have the same construction substituting the
cantilevers is obvious possibility. To prevent this AT invented
different coupling system between the stylus holder and the
cart body. Those can't be switched as ''stylus holder''. But by
removing the whole cantilever/ damping combo from one cart
and transplanting to the other this ''coupling problem'' can be
solved. BTW beryllium is better cantilever material than boron.
Even better than ''gold plated boron '' (grin).
