View Full Version : So I did this to my Shure SC35C
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1046.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1046.jpg.html)
I've been really enjoying the SC35C on my new arm over the last few weeks so I mounted the internal body in a new aluminium shell.
Here's the process:
First get everything you need laid out.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1000.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1000.jpg.html)
Here's the SC35C next to the new body.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1002.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1002.jpg.html)
Remove the stylus.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1005.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1005.jpg.html)
Then you use an Exacto knife to pry internal body out of the cheap plastic shell.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1007.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1007.jpg.html)
Keep twisting until it pops loose.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1006.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1006.jpg.html)
Here's the empty plastic shell next to the internal body.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1011.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1011.jpg.html)
The new body gets taped off with painters tape. The plastic body has the cartridge sit at an angle. Four little pieces of lead shot are used to keep the correct cartridge angle.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1014.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1014.jpg.html)
Then you mix the epoxy and scoop some into the body. I didn't get an pictures of this part because you need to work fast but here's a picture from the seller's Ebay page.
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ElAAAOSwT5tWJDXx/s-l1600.jpg
Next you carefully place the body in the new shell.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1017.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1017.jpg.html)
After 24 hours of the epoxy curing you end up with something like this.
http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv105/dmckean44/SAM_1044.jpg (http://s674.photobucket.com/user/dmckean44/media/SAM_1044.jpg.html)
I quite like the results. I get more focus and a wider, deeper soundstage while still keeping all the things I like about this cart (bass authority, midrange clarity and it handles beat up records with ease). Removing the plastic shell also opens of the the choices of stylus for this cart, you're no longer limited to just those that fit the SC35C/M35X/M78S/N44GX body and can use options for the V15V as well.
Great stuff, Dave. I'm also a fan of the SC35C, and have one of the original 'Made in USA' ones (with NOS stylus), before Shure moved their production to Mexico, and quality suffered. They sound superb, just as you described: a great 'boogie' cartridge for rock, pop and dance music.
The BBC used them for broadcasting purposes in their Radio 1 stations, during the 70s. What are you tracking yours at? I shunned the OTT 3-4g thing, set mine at 2g, and it sounds superb at that, tracking securely, too :)
Love the new body-shell. Is it a modified one for a DL-103? Also, could you provide a link please to the ebay seller? :cool:
Marco.
Thanks Marco,
I'm tracking mine a little over 2.5 grams. It seems to do just great at that setting. 4-5 grams was probably only for broadcasters so records didn't skip on the air.
Here's a link to the ebay listing.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181965427250
Excellent, Dave. I can see myself getting one of those! I agree with the broadcasting VTF thing. Lowering it, for domestic use, also opens up the top end, I find :)
Honestly, some of those old Shure cartridges, properly mounted on quality arms and T/Ts would frighten the life out of some so-called 'high-end' cartridges produced these days! ;)
Marco.
This most recent experience with it has shown me how much a quality arm makes a difference. It sounds amazing now.
My USA made SC35C is on my best friend's Pioneer table and that’s probably where it will stay. It's pretty impossible to replace now since Herb Reichert's review in Stereophile.
PaulStewart
28-12-2015, 20:38
Thanks for that Dave, I'vejust ordered 2 of them :) I also have a NOS M-75ED I think will Benefit from a new body.....
My USA made SC35C is on my best friend's Pioneer table and that’s probably where it will stay. It's pretty impossible to replace now since Herb Reichert's review in Stereophile.
Cool... Got a link to that review? I'd like to read it :)
Marco.
Cool... Got a link to that review? I'd like to read it :)
http://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-3-shure-sc35c#zRIzdlIDSlFqtVQt.97
Thanks for that Dave, I've just ordered 2 of them :) I also have a NOS M-75ED I think will Benefit from a new body.....
I don't think you'll be disappointed.
http://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-3-shure-sc35c#zRIzdlIDSlFqtVQt.97
Most interesting! :thumbsup:
Marco.
kininigin
29-12-2015, 02:54
Excellent stuff dave and most interesting! Been a big fan of the SC35C,which i've used for a good few years now! Think i'll give this a go as i have a couple of them!
It's worth the effort, and really, it wasn't all that much effort. The whole process including clearing off the table, setting up, and taking pictures of everything took thirty about minutes. The trickiest parts are getting the exacto knife between the body and the shell and getting the right amount of epoxy in the body. I initially put in a little too much but was able to scoop a little back out without any issue.
I only mounted this cart because I didn't want to mess up one of my moving coils when I was trying to mount and set up the new arm. After a few weeks, I realized I needed to keep this cart in my regular rotation. Then I ran across this body on his website while I was looking at DL-103 bodies and figured I might as well give it a go.
kininigin
25-01-2016, 20:48
Well iv'e taken the plunge and ordered one of these body's. Hopefully i don't mess it up fitting it but it does look fairly easy to do! If it improves on the stock body,as Dave has found,then i think i'll be very happy as i think this cart is excellent as it is!
Might even try a Jico SAS for it as well while i'm at it :D
Darren,
It's still mounted to my table and I'm still enjoying it. I have two other carts here that I want to try out (Shure M55E and Technics EPC-270C II) but things are sounding so good right now that I hate to mess with anything.
Post some pictures here after you do the mod!
kininigin
26-01-2016, 20:53
I've only ever used a few carts in my life for hifi use.A Goldring G800,which was good but need to source a nos needle for it,not played it for a long time now.Also have a Audio Technica ATP-2 which i intially quite liked but think after extended listening wasn't so enthused about it,might try it again though as i can't remember what it sounds like! The most modern one i've had was a Nagoaka MP110,which was good but not quite what i was looking for!
Since i've had the SC35C,i haven't worried about finding another cart quite as much.I'd be interested in your views on the differences between the M55E and SC35C though as they appear to have similiar triats from what i can gather!
kininigin
04-02-2016, 17:36
Couple of pics of the re-bodied Shure SC35C.
http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m639/kininigin/IMG_20160204_171900170_zpspcnrkddb.jpg (http://s1135.photobucket.com/user/kininigin/media/IMG_20160204_171900170_zpspcnrkddb.jpg.html)
http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m639/kininigin/IMG_20160204_172659939_zpsgqivnoqg.jpg (http://s1135.photobucket.com/user/kininigin/media/IMG_20160204_172659939_zpsgqivnoqg.jpg.html)
Looks great Darren!
How is it sounding?
kininigin
04-02-2016, 17:57
Hi Dave,
Only played a couple of records,but so far so good. There is greater seperation of instruments and greater definition,improving the soundstage i have found.Also i can pick out smaller details more easily,so maybe noisefloor has improved??
All in all,from what i can tell so far,it's been definitley worth the somewhat bit of hassle i've had fitting it :D
Better imaging and greater instrument detail (especially the bass instruments) was something I noticed too. I thought the soundstage got larger too.
Definitely worth the hassle. :cool:
kininigin
04-02-2016, 21:02
Better imaging and greater instrument detail (especially the bass instruments) was something I noticed too. I thought the soundstage got larger too.
Definitely worth the hassle. :cool:
I'd agree with that. There is greater detail across the frequency range! With well recorded music it does sound exceptional imo. I listen to alot of bass driven music and the non modified Shure is perfect for that but with the mod bass is now even more taut and seems to go deeper but does it without slowing the music down! Midrange sounds stunning,being more open and vivid. Whilst the top end has a bit more delicacy and sweetness! It just plays music in a more engaging way,whether the music requires delicacy and is more intimate or is driving bass lines and drums at a frantic pace it does either rather well imo. Safe to say I'm well pleased with the results.
I'd agree with that. There is greater detail across the frequency range! With well recorded music it does sound exceptional imo. I listen to alot of bass driven music and the non modified Shure is perfect for that but with the mod bass is now even more taut and seems to go deeper but does it without slowing the music down! Midrange sounds stunning,being more open and vivid. Whilst the top end has a bit more delicacy and sweetness! It just plays music in a more engaging way,whether the music requires delicacy and is more intimate or is driving bass lines and drums at a frantic pace it does either rather well imo. Safe to say I'm well pleased with the results.
I knew you would be. It's improvement after the upgrade is immediate and very satisfying. It's a no-brainer for anyone out there using this cart.
Seems there's another fan here ... http://cheaptubeaudio.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=shure+sc35c
Very interesting, Peter, and shows that its longtime fans (I first used one in 1985) aren't deaf... ;)
Marco.
Seems there's another fan here ... http://cheaptubeaudio.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=shure+sc35c
Thanks for that, a very interesting read.
Audio Al
24-10-2016, 00:05
Did anyone get clobbered for Tax handling Vat etc when it arrived ?
337alant
24-10-2016, 07:51
Interesting thread my first cart was a shure M75ed t2
Wouldn't it also benefit from trimming away all the extra plastic from the stylus except for what is essential to mount it , just thinking about vibrations being transferred directly to the stylus
Think it would look better as well
Alan
Interesting thread my first cart was a shure M75ed t2
Wouldn't it also benefit from trimming away all the extra plastic from the stylus except for what is essential to mount it , just thinking about vibrations being transferred directly to the stylus
Think it would look better as well
Alan
Yes, any cart with a resonant plastic body would benefit from this mod.
paulf-2007
24-10-2016, 19:03
Did anyone get clobbered for Tax handling Vat etc when it arrived ?
32$ to post a tiny bit of aluminium.
Thought I'd resurrect this thread, rather than start a new one, as it was this that got me mildly intrigued by this cheapo disco cartridge (well, actually, it's a BBC-approved precision transducer :D )
I've not looked back since getting my Fidelity Research FR-64S arm from Tom last year, finding it a near-perfect match for my SPU. However, the only down-side is that it's designed specifically for low compliance carts, having an effective mass of around 35 grams, and probably more with a SPU hanging off the end. This means it's only really compatible with very low compliance (stiff) cartridges, which are rather thin on the ground ... so, the SC35C seemed to fit the bill ... and it's only 60 quid, so thought I'd give it a go.
Anyway, I wasn't expecting much at all ... kind of like a three-legged greyhound, maybe fun and eager, but not going to cut it in a proper race. Well, I was rather shocked to find I'd actually bought a 'talking dog'! And then, having got over the shock that it could talk at all, I realised it was actually talking sense :lol: OK, maybe a bit too full in the bottom (hey, it's a Shure), and a bit recessed in the treble (hey, it's a spherical stylus), but otherwise it's been really enjoyable (especially once run-in properly).
I've been using it tracking at 4.5 grams in the 17 gram Isokinetik SM750 headshell (the Jelco HS30 is identical, but considerably cheaper) ... which, btw, has consistently seen off all comers since I got it a few years back. This weekend, I'm going to try it at 2 grams, as recommended by Marco. Certainly, it's proving ideal for older, distressed, records, and tbh it continues to satisfy on a regular basis. As a day-to-day cartridge, I reckon it does more than enough for the bulk of my '70 and '80s vinyl.
Ridiculously good value if you use a big, heavy arm.
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff384/petrat56/20170401_105326_zpso4vo0zpi.jpg (http://s1233.photobucket.com/user/petrat56/media/20170401_105326_zpso4vo0zpi.jpg.html)
Good stuff, Peter - and nice pic! :)
It's rather surprising how acceptable the Shure is for everyday use, eh? ;)
The key is using it in an arm able to get it to perform as it was designed to do. And that's often the problem with cartridges: too many folks essentially trying to get square pegs to fit inside round holes.....
Marco.
This weekend, I'm going to try it at 2 grams, as recommended by Marco.
Nope, that didn't work at all! Looking round the web, I suspect that it is the lucky owners of the old (USA-made) carts that are tracking at 3 grams and below .... maybe better quality stylus/cantilever? Anyway, I'm now getting fantastic results with mine at 5 grams :eek: in the heaviest headshell I've got.
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff384/petrat56/20170402_131237_zpsaw6bovyz.jpg (http://s1233.photobucket.com/user/petrat56/media/20170402_131237_zpsaw6bovyz.jpg.html)
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff384/petrat56/20170402_131044_zpsibzgjqav.jpg (http://s1233.photobucket.com/user/petrat56/media/20170402_131044_zpsibzgjqav.jpg.html)
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