Attention!   You have reached our old site at TurntableBelts.com Please click above to use our new site, TurntableNeedles.com

Past Customers:
We are sure you will love our new website, but if you prefer, you may still scroll down to use our old website. We have all research areas completely intact for our past customers who may prefer to use the navigation style with which they are familiar.  New visitors may find the simple listing of part numbers on our old site valuable until we get all these lists transferred to the new site.

First off, TERMINOLOGY:
(please know your terminology so when you email us a question we can answer you
promptly without having to ask for clarification)

If you Email us and start asking about your 'needle cartridge' or 'cartridge needle' it's kinda
like asking the mechanic about replacing your 'transmission engine' the first question
in the mechanics mind will be "well, what are you inquiring about, your engine or your transmission?"
sure they are joined & function together to get your car down the road but they are two very different things.

The cartridge is the boxlike receptical at the end of the tonearm into which the needle plugs or snaps.

The cartridge only needs to be replaced if:
A) It's missing.
B) It's clearly physically damaged.
C) You feel a need to upgrade.
D) You are unable to locate a replacement needle.
They virtually never just go bad by themselves, only needles wear out.

The 'needle' or 'stylus' is the pin with the (usually diamond) tip AND whatever
plastic is required to secure the 'needle' or 'stylus' to the cartridge.  You could
most accurately call it the 'needle assembly' but no one ever does......................typical needle

TIP: It's preferable to replace only the needle because:
A) It's usually cheaper & easier to replace.
B) You won't have to worry about all those adjustments like tracking weight
     nearly as much (generally not at all) like you would when changing the entire
     cartridge/needle combo.
HOWEVER if your replacement needle turns out to be signficantly higher than you now want to spend,
due to rarity or the original setup being very 'high end' then you may prefer to 'step down' to a
more reasonably priced cartridge/needle combo.  To select a cartridge based on the two most
common mounting types please click HERE.

The tonearm is the tube which carries the cartridge, headshell/head (if applicable) and
the needle across the record.

The head is the receptical portion of the tonearm which has the socket for a P-mount

type cartridge.

A headshell has the same function as a head but is for a ½" cartridge mounting system.
 
 

Here's the problem.

Most folks would naturally expect that all they have to do is provide or search
for the needle they require by simply having the  model # of the turntable. However
cross referencing the needle you want by model # should only be a guide along your
path to proper needle selection for the following reasons:
A) Sometimes a manufacturer changed the cartridge/needle combo 'mid production'
    without changingthe model #.
B) Sometimes a turntable was sold without a cartridge at all thus forcing/allowing
    the customer to choose one at time of purchase.  So the original customer could
    have chosen almost anything.
C) Sometimes someone changes the cartridge/needle combo sometime after the
     turntable/phonograph was originally purchased, and installs almost anything.

So any of the above conditions will destroy the
effectiveness of a model to needle cross reference.
 

Ok here's the top secret inside
scoop to select the right needle
the first time.

While selecting your needle by model often yields a correct cross reference we
highly recommend you probe deeper to avoid having to exchange your incorrect
needle, here's how.
A) Look for any markings/numbers on the cartridge. If you have an Audio Technica
     or Shure cartridge, we have a comprehensive listing of their cartridges to our
     needle numbers on the web; email us for other brands like Stanton, Ortofon, Pickering
     Empire, Tetrad or Varco. If you know or believe that the cartridge installed is the original
     one that came with the unit (even if the brand differs from the turntable make) then before
     emailing us, check our webpage for that turntable make as we often have cross ref. info to go from
     the manufacturer's cartridge# or needle# to our needle# which you can then order.
     Are you missing a navigation frame to your left then click www.TurntableBelts.com
     NOTE: Many of our needles come in an unbranded (generic) version for a lower price
     on our orderform under the needle dropdown menu.
B) If "A" doesn't work for you then remove your old needle from the cartridge by 
     grasping the plastic needle assembly on either side of the front of the cartridge and pulling it forward
     and/or down.

C) Compare the needle to the drawings of needles commonly found in your particular
     brand of equipment. These drawings are found on that brand names respective
     page (click on the brand name in the left column). If you can't find a match there
     then goto: ALL needles/styli click here---->Page 1 Page 2   Page 3   Page 4

300+ COLOR PICS

© 2002, AVCR Electronics, Corvallis, OR, USA Privacy Policy           Refund Policy