Post A Photograph Of Your Turntable
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basman
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Got this upgraded scout!
Silent One
What silence said... then nothing.
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What a happy looking corner!
Congrats!
analogsurviver
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Is this Dynavector 20B "a" Garrott (present operation) - or THE Garrott (by the late twins)? By the timeline ( 20B, RB200 ) it stands a fair chance of being the real thing. Close up of the cart/stylus, please !
Is this Dynavector 20B "a" Garrott (present operation) - or THE Garrott (by the late twins)? By the timeline ( 20B, RB200 ) it stands a fair chance of being the real thing. Close up of the cart/stylus, please !
Jesterphile
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http://i.imgur.com/d7v3vUS.jpg
Does this help? Its an old cartridge. It'd be good if you could shed some light on the Garrott business as I have no idea
bbophead
Headphoneus Supremus
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Annalogsurviver: I sort of remember the twins killed themselves. It seems they did a lot of Decca overhauls maybe?
Annalogsurviver: I sort of remember the twins killed themselves. It seems they did a lot of Decca overhauls maybe?
analogsurviver
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Yes, the story of Garrott Brothers is one of the most intriguing in all of audio. It is perhaps the best to read first
http://www.avguide.com/forums/remembering-the-garrott-brothers
It is also a story from which lineage of stylus retippers can be at least partially assembled. There is quite some info scattered on Pink Fish Media, as the Garrott Brothers have been at some point "apprentices" at Expert Stylus in the UK. Stylus/cartridge people, at least the ones I do know, are very proud of their achievements and generally think more than twice before passing their hard way earned experience to other people. As this was going on in the mid 70's, we may never know the whole truth, as at least Garrott Brothers can no longer tell their part of the story.
Be as it may, Garrott Brothers was the first firm I heard of to do retipping service - late 70, my late teens. I somehow did scrape together the money for Supex SD 900 Super MC cartridge from then the least expensive source, which was Hagen Olesen from Denmark. OK, that price was far more user friendly than Linn's from UK, but about 2-3 times I paid for my Supex just to retip it was beyond my means. Trouble is, in Yugoslav HI FI "press" of the time, Garrott Brothers retipped cartridges were hailed as the non plus ultra - no other cartridges were held in such high esteem, very first Koetsus included. Late 70s were the beginning of van Den Hul stylus, at first available on modded EMT cartridges, and priced at IIRC $ 900 - way above my student budget. I knew of no one that had a VdH until well into 80s, when this stylus became available on less expensive carts. But there were a handful of Garrott Brothers rettips floating around - enough to spread the word. It might come as a surprise to you, but we knew bloody well what was good/best - and were willing to save for what we believed in and to take the plunge given the chance. Taking a trip to a place 500 or so odd kilometres away just to hear one's object of desire was not that uncommon thing at all...
A couple of years ago, 2 or three, I scored for a friend an (ab?)used Micro Acoustics 100e cartridge on ebay from Australia. This is an entry model in the System II line of Micro Acoustics electret cartridges, the most basic and therefore the least desirable. But, with an all important twist - it sports Garrott Brothers Micro Scanner label, denoting best stylus tip by Garrott Brothers. Micro Scanner was to my knowledge the first commercially available (late 70s) stylus that later on became known as Micro Line, Micro Ridge and recently SAS - the first cartridge by a major manufacturer sporting Micro Line was Audio Technica's premium range Signet, model was TK10ML, in 1981.
Garrott Brothers cartridge, the one by the late twins, that you are most likely to come across is Decca of some sort or another. They did practically everything ( another friend menaged to score Stanton 681EEE with Micro Scanner ), but retipped Decca is perhaps their most known and "widespread" product. Although they were not keen on MCs, having produced their own version of A&R Cambridge P77 MM cartridge called K1 through K3, with ever more sophisticated cantilever/stylus as you went up the line, and cosidered this "Dynamic Coil" superiour to the MCs, they did process lots of MCs and results were always beter than the original. They were the ultimate perfectionists - with now their work mostly "available" as photo of a cart sporting their label, their painstaking work and precision achieved in mounting the styli is something that is slowly sinking into oblivion. Sooner or later, any stylus gets worn with use, and not many after the last made by the late twins more than two decades ago remain intact enough to this day.
In next post, I will publish the microscope photos of the Real McCoy - as far as I can tell, there is no photos of Garrott Brothers Micro Scanner stylus
available anywhere. The degree of craftsmanship may have been matched by now, but it can not be bettered - they did it as close to perfection as it can possibly get.
Yes, the story of Garrott Brothers is one of the most intriguing in all of audio. It is perhaps the best to read first
http://www.avguide.com/forums/remembering-the-garrott-brothers
It is also a story from which lineage of stylus retippers can be at least partially assembled. There is quite some info scattered on Pink Fish Media, as the Garrott Brothers have been at some point "apprentices" at Expert Stylus in the UK. Stylus/cartridge people, at least the ones I do know, are very proud of their achievements and generally think more than twice before passing their hard way earned experience to other people. As this was going on in the mid 70's, we may never know the whole truth, as at least Garrott Brothers can no longer tell their part of the story.
Be as it may, Garrott Brothers was the first firm I heard of to do retipping service - late 70, my late teens. I somehow did scrape together the money for Supex SD 900 Super MC cartridge from then the least expensive source, which was Hagen Olesen from Denmark. OK, that price was far more user friendly than Linn's from UK, but about 2-3 times I paid for my Supex just to retip it was beyond my means. Trouble is, in Yugoslav HI FI "press" of the time, Garrott Brothers retipped cartridges were hailed as the non plus ultra - no other cartridges were held in such high esteem, very first Koetsus included. Late 70s were the beginning of van Den Hul stylus, at first available on modded EMT cartridges, and priced at IIRC $ 900 - way above my student budget. I knew of no one that had a VdH until well into 80s, when this stylus became available on less expensive carts. But there were a handful of Garrott Brothers rettips floating around - enough to spread the word. It might come as a surprise to you, but we knew bloody well what was good/best - and were willing to save for what we believed in and to take the plunge given the chance. Taking a trip to a place 500 or so odd kilometres away just to hear one's object of desire was not that uncommon thing at all...
A couple of years ago, 2 or three, I scored for a friend an (ab?)used Micro Acoustics 100e cartridge on ebay from Australia. This is an entry model in the System II line of Micro Acoustics electret cartridges, the most basic and therefore the least desirable. But, with an all important twist - it sports Garrott Brothers Micro Scanner label, denoting best stylus tip by Garrott Brothers. Micro Scanner was to my knowledge the first commercially available (late 70s) stylus that later on became known as Micro Line, Micro Ridge and recently SAS - the first cartridge by a major manufacturer sporting Micro Line was Audio Technica's premium range Signet, model was TK10ML, in 1981.
Garrott Brothers cartridge, the one by the late twins, that you are most likely to come across is Decca of some sort or another. They did practically everything ( another friend menaged to score Stanton 681EEE with Micro Scanner ), but retipped Decca is perhaps their most known and "widespread" product. Although they were not keen on MCs, having produced their own version of A&R Cambridge P77 MM cartridge called K1 through K3, with ever more sophisticated cantilever/stylus as you went up the line, and cosidered this "Dynamic Coil" superiour to the MCs, they did process lots of MCs and results were always beter than the original. They were the ultimate perfectionists - with now their work mostly "available" as photo of a cart sporting their label, their painstaking work and precision achieved in mounting the styli is something that is slowly sinking into oblivion. Sooner or later, any stylus gets worn with use, and not many after the last made by the late twins more than two decades ago remain intact enough to this day.
In next post, I will publish the microscope photos of the Real McCoy - as far as I can tell, there is no photos of Garrott Brothers Micro Scanner stylus
available anywhere. The degree of craftsmanship may have been matched by now, but it can not be bettered - they did it as close to perfection as it can possibly get.
analogsurviver
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So here it is - Micro Acoustics 100e fitted by Garrott Brothers with Micro Scanner stylus. The cantilever was sligtly bent and there is a kink - waaaay prior this sample ever reached me.
Micro Acoustics cartridges have all one characteristic in common - VERY long cantilever. Its longivity is unfortunately inversely proportional to its lenght, as some of you old enough to come in touch with them can testify.
This is the only way to catch the loooooong cantilever in its entire lenght at 20x, the smallest magnification. It is clear some funny business had to be going on sometime in its history before getting here.
Close-up on the diamond
That dark "off centre" circle is the hole in the cantilever occupied once by the far bigger original elliptical stylus - here filled with mounting cement. This is the cleanest job I have seen to date, using the least cement/glue that will reliably hold the diamond in place. Please note that orientation of the stylus is ALWAYS aligned so to be in the correct spot, deficieces of cantilever corrected for by the alignment of the diamond itself.
Here Micro Scanner ridges are clearly visible. Stylus is mounted at EXACTLY 90 degrees to the cantilever's real center line.
A bit different lighting showing one (lighter) facet well
Cantilever/stylus responsible for the right channel
Micro Scanner ridge clearly visible
Note the minuscule amount of glue/cement
Micro Acoustics cartridges have all one characteristic in common - VERY long cantilever. Its longivity is unfortunately inversely proportional to its lenght, as some of you old enough to come in touch with them can testify.
This is the only way to catch the loooooong cantilever in its entire lenght at 20x, the smallest magnification. It is clear some funny business had to be going on sometime in its history before getting here.
Close-up on the diamond
That dark "off centre" circle is the hole in the cantilever occupied once by the far bigger original elliptical stylus - here filled with mounting cement. This is the cleanest job I have seen to date, using the least cement/glue that will reliably hold the diamond in place. Please note that orientation of the stylus is ALWAYS aligned so to be in the correct spot, deficieces of cantilever corrected for by the alignment of the diamond itself.
Here Micro Scanner ridges are clearly visible. Stylus is mounted at EXACTLY 90 degrees to the cantilever's real center line.
A bit different lighting showing one (lighter) facet well
Cantilever/stylus responsible for the right channel
Micro Scanner ridge clearly visible
Note the minuscule amount of glue/cement
Eee Pee
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Impressive. Both it, and your ability to get those photos.
analogsurviver
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Micro Acoustics 100e fitted by Garrot Brothers with Micro Scanner stylus Part 2
Cantilever/stylus responsible for left channel; please note slight kink in the cantilever
Minimum glue/cement from this angle
Micro Scanner ridge clearly visible
Azimuth view - you will see how careful the twin Garrott brothers were in fitting the diamond to the imperfect cantilever.
Note the correct azimuth alignment on the true centerline through the cantilever. I chose the shot that has the stylus focused but still gives a depth of field along the bulk of the cantilever tube.
Here facets of the Micro Scanner polishing (along with slight imperfections ) are clearly visible.
Different lighting highlights the contours of the large scanning radius of the Micro Scanner stylus.
Yes, that was how the Garrott Brothers did their work.
Let them R.I.P.
Cantilever/stylus responsible for left channel; please note slight kink in the cantilever
Minimum glue/cement from this angle
Micro Scanner ridge clearly visible
Azimuth view - you will see how careful the twin Garrott brothers were in fitting the diamond to the imperfect cantilever.
Note the correct azimuth alignment on the true centerline through the cantilever. I chose the shot that has the stylus focused but still gives a depth of field along the bulk of the cantilever tube.
Here facets of the Micro Scanner polishing (along with slight imperfections ) are clearly visible.
Different lighting highlights the contours of the large scanning radius of the Micro Scanner stylus.
Yes, that was how the Garrott Brothers did their work.
Let them R.I.P.
analogsurviver
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Quote:
Yes, it does help. Thank you very much for this photo.
I have not seen such Garrott label before - I am familiar only with Micro Scanner version. They may have used lesser stylus tip profiles earlier on.
Micro Scanner ( Ridge, Reach, Line, SAS are its other commercial names ) does, besides the closest possible approach to cutting stylus without introducing re-cutting, offer much increased stylus life prior to threatening record demage than any other available option.
Even if your 20A Garrott is the older non Micro Scanner version, you can rest assured its stylus is aligned properly. Hope it is not (too) worn by now.
In any case, it is a legacy and rare piece of audio history. Please treat it accordingly.
Yes, it does help. Thank you very much for this photo.
I have not seen such Garrott label before - I am familiar only with Micro Scanner version. They may have used lesser stylus tip profiles earlier on.
Micro Scanner ( Ridge, Reach, Line, SAS are its other commercial names ) does, besides the closest possible approach to cutting stylus without introducing re-cutting, offer much increased stylus life prior to threatening record demage than any other available option.
Even if your 20A Garrott is the older non Micro Scanner version, you can rest assured its stylus is aligned properly. Hope it is not (too) worn by now.
In any case, it is a legacy and rare piece of audio history. Please treat it accordingly.
Jesterphile
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The tip is in good nick as far as I'm aware. I don't have anything that will allow me to inspect it either..
Oh well. It sounds good, that's the main thing
::EDIT::
Whelp, shouldn't have said anything because it looks like the needle just broke of and let the stylus rake across my copy of DSoTM
parbaked
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Quote:
I hope the "new" Garrott can repair for you!
The tip is in good nick as far as I'm aware. I don't have anything that will allow me to inspect it either..
Oh well. It sounds good, that's the main thing
::EDIT::
Whelp, shouldn't have said anything because it looks like the needle just broke of and let the stylus rake across my copy of DSoTM
analogsurviver
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Really sorry to hear that.
How did it happen? Any prior "mishaps" or just "out of the blue"? If it was the latter, double check that the arm and particularly its antiskating is functioning properly, It can happen that arm is "sticking" at one point, antiskating springs can get weakened with age, etc. RB200 is high quality enough this to be unlikely, but it is a possibility.
The tip is in good nick as far as I'm aware. I don't have anything that will allow me to inspect it either..
Oh well. It sounds good, that's the main thing
::EDIT::
Whelp, shouldn't have said anything because it looks like the needle just broke of and let the stylus rake across my copy of DSoTM
Really sorry to hear that.
How did it happen? Any prior "mishaps" or just "out of the blue"? If it was the latter, double check that the arm and particularly its antiskating is functioning properly, It can happen that arm is "sticking" at one point, antiskating springs can get weakened with age, etc. RB200 is high quality enough this to be unlikely, but it is a possibility.
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