[Canon]

Well admittedly I don't know a lot about vinyl. I have listened to my Dad's vinyl collection a bit in years gone by and he gave it all to me about 6 years ago.

I was listening on a very cheap (well feels chap, looks cheap etc.) Goldstar turntable. I'm unsure how many hours are on the table. It does have a problem with the motor switch (one of those auto on when you move the arm). I had it apart to adjust the copper contacts a few times but it always gets messed up after sitting for a little bit. This turntable doesn't even have tracking force adjustment or replaceable cartridges (well I’m sure you can replace the stylus but the cartridge is small and appears to be part of the tone arm, IE no screws on top)

Also my grandfather has offered me a turntable. He has 3. I haven’t seen any of them as of yet but if I get first choice I was wondering what I should be looking for so I may pick the best one. I'll be looking for adjustable tracking weights and also the potential to upgrade/replace the cartridge if I decide to pursue my vinyl listening urges.

I hope that helps to answer my questions...

My questions:

1. How do I know if the stylus is in need of replacement (I'd like to try and preserve the vinyl instead of ruining it with a damaged/worn out stylus) but I’m not sure if I’m willing to spend money to buy one right away if it’s unnecessary since my funds are quite limited.
2. What sort of mounting system is considered standard? Some pics of this would be great. If I grab one of my Grandfather's tables It'd be nice to have the ability to attach a better/replacement cartridge.

If there's anything else I should be looking for I'd love to hear it.

 

[mbriant]

I know this is a late response, but if you're concerned about ruining your records, I'd forget about this TT entirely. While I don't know this particular TT, being a "Goldstar", I tend to believe your assessment that it's a cheap TT. Even if the stylus isn't worn, without any sort of tracking/alignment adjustments on the tonearm, it could still be doing damage to your records.

 

[Canon]

Thanks for the advice.

Unfortunately I did buy an Ortofon OMP3e cart. I'll keep your suggestion in mind when I use it. I've only been using it occasionally however. I'll just have to save the good records for some day down the road if/when I get a decent table.

 

[vinyl addict]

I agree with mbriant.

Chuck that sucker, it'll do more harm than good. Here is a helpful link about turntables and setup...a great guide.

http://www.theanalogdept.com/index.html