Stylus / Styli / Styluses

Frank Wilson

Needed to purchase a new stylus for my turntable, something which used to be a very straightforward task. In the "old days" you would go to a local record store or local hi-fi shop (even Lord Sugars chain used to sell them) select the one that relates to your turntable and Bob would be your uncle.

Nowadays however we don't have any local record stores or hi-fi shops, now we have HMV or Currys.

So that left me with Richersounds, a hi-fi chain, they may come good. Promptly rings their 0333 shop number to be told repeatedly that "my call may be recorded for training purposes" After about ten minutes of being told about the training and still waiting for a human being to answer I finally gave up. Perhaps they should use that call as a training aid to get them to answer the phone, a simple "I'm with a customer at the moment can I call you back" would suffice and the physical customer will usually understand the need to answer the call.

So my next thought is Maplins. Makes my way down to the local retail trading estate where Maplins are and goes in for a look around. My hopes are raised when at the back of the shop there is an array of turntables for sale. Has a look round for the stylus shelf but to no avail. Gets myself across to the counter and says to chap at the desk "I notice you have a selection of turntables do you keep stylus on stock" "Yes mate, i'll take you to them" Great thinks I and dutifully follows the hirsute young man down the shop. "He we go" says Dave Lee Travis and points at some stick type objects a few inches long. "No" says I, "a stylus for a turntable not a tablet" "You mean a cartridge" says Dave. "No I mean a stylus or needle for a turntable" "You can only buy cartridges nowadays" says DLT, "we would need to look at the web page" "Ok" says I and duly gives him the make and model of the turntable. DLT punches it in and up comes a page with a range of styli on it, not cartridges but styli. "There we go" says I all excited, "Stylus". "We don't list one for your turntable" says Dave.

So my next port of call is the internet, punches the details in Google and up pops a reasonably priced twin pack. "That will do for me, I will have a spare for the future" I think to myself. Clicks on the link and it takes me to Ebay, pops the little devils into a basket only to be asked to login to Ebay. As I am not an Ebay member this I can't do. It also tells me if I want to purchase said item I would need to join Ebay, something I have no desire to do. Also I expect if I had joined Ebay I would then have been railroaded into a Paypal account as a means of payment for said stylus.

Hits the back button to original search page, a few more Ebay sellers then a normal seller. Goes on sticks my model number in etc and up pops a "generic" stylus "that should fit your turntable" I'll know next week when it arrives, if it don't then lord knows what to do next.

So if the media are to be believed that vinyl sales are on the up and up where are all these people buying their stylus?

veronese68

Most of them have bought all the kit because it looks good but don’t actually use it I suspect. They will probably never wear a needle, if they do they’ll probably replace the whole turntable as they have little understanding of what’s going on.

diamonddog

Amazon have them and Richersounds also have them online the last time I checked.

mamba80

i got a one from here for a 45 year old turn table i found in my loft that belonged to my sister back in the day of puppy love.
https://www.gettheneedle.co.uk

pblakeney

Go back to Google and concentrate on actual shops instead of Ebay.
I find the "Shopping" tab quite useful for this.

napoleond

Most people just buy a new cartridge

TheBigBean

Frank Wilson wrote:

So my next port of call is the internet,

I know nothing about the subject, so can't be helpful, but I'm amazed this isn't where you started.

TheBigBean

Oh and there are a lot of upsides to having a paypal account.

mouth

https://www.superfi.co.uk/branchlocator.aspx

Frank Wilson

NapoleonD wrote:

Most people just buy a new cartridge

I'm obviously not most people Napoleon, in 60 years of playing vinyl I have never replaced a cartridge, only ever replaced the needle / stylus.

Frank.

pblakeney

I have not used them, but these guys seem to cover the bases.
https://www.stylusplus.co.uk

bbrap

I've always tried to search on the particular cartridge fitted rather than which tone arm/turntable it is fitted to. Might throw up more options if the particular turntable model is now long defunked.

cooldad

There are also still B&M high end Hi Fi shops around. Might not be the cheapest, but for something small that lasts for ages it isn't too much expense.

Ben6899

You've made hard work of this, Frank.

Frank Wilson

Ben6899 wrote:

You've made hard work of this, Frank.

You need to fill your day when you're retired

webboo

Frank Wilson wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

You've made hard work of this, Frank.

You need to fill your day when you're retired

I thought you spent your time helping out Mandy and her friends.

Frank Wilson

Webboo wrote:

Frank Wilson wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

You've made hard work of this, Frank.

You need to fill your day when you're retired

I thought you spent your time helping out Mandy and her friends.

Mandy just wants to take advantage of my 12 inch



singles!!!!