Best diamond for a DECCA maroon?

[Wakefield Turntables]

I've now officially joined the DECCA club and bought a DECCA maroon. Can you suggest the best diamond for this cart? It will be going to John Wright in the next few days.

[walpurgis]

If it's in good condition, why not try is as is? The Maroon is not too shabby in standard trim.

If you've not heard one before, you could be in for a big surprise! :)

[Wakefield Turntables]

This example is from 1980 and hasn't been touched I've been well advised to get the tip replaced.

[walpurgis]

Hmm. Age means less with Deccas. There's no cantilever suspension to perish for a start. I'd be inclined to examine the tip with a microscope. If there's no visible wear, I'd use it! My last Decca Export Grey had no sign of wear in thirty years of fairly regular use.

The Maroon can sound quite strikingly good in standard trim by the way.

[Jimbo]

Hmm. Age means less with Deccas. There's no cantilever suspension to perish for a start. I'd be inclined to examine the tip with a microscope. If there's no visible wear, I'd use it! My last Decca Export Grey had no sign of wear in thirty years of fairly regular use.

The Maroon can sound quite strikingly good in standard trim by the way.

I can concour with you Geoff, my Decca Blue was unused and as such when I looked at the tip it was perfect. JW looked it over and confirmed it was all in order part from one aspect which he changed. I believe it was to do with some resin substance that had perished and could cause distortion. I will dig the bill out again and have a look at what he mentioned on it.

Isn't the Maroon a Blue with a different tip?

[Barry]

I can concour with you Geoff, my Decca Blue was unused and as such when I looked at the tip it was perfect. JW looked it over and confirmed it was all in order part from one aspect which he changed. I believe it was to do with some resin substance that had perished and could cause distortion. I will dig the bill out again and have a look at what he mentioned on it.

Isn't the Maroon a Blue with a different tip?

No, the Maroon is essentially the same as a Mk. V (and as such fitted with a spherical-tipped stylus), but was made on a separate production line with more care and attention paid to its construction.

I would agree with both Geoff and Jim; if the stylus is in good nick, then why not get the most out of the stylus life. If you really want to change the stylus profile Andy, then why not go for a 'microscanner' stylus?

[YNWaN]

My last Decca Export Grey had no sign of wear in thirty years of fairly regular use.

A cartridge whose stylus showed no signs of wear after thirty years of 'fairly regular' use (or even 'only occasional' use) would be a unique thing indeed. I'm afraid that whilst you may not have seen the wear it simply must have been there. You do need quite a powerful microscope and even then wear is not easy to interpret.



100% Analogue

[Barry]

Assuming a stylus lifetime of 2,000 hours, if it has been used for 30 years, that's just over an hour and a quarter playing time once per week. Or nearly four sides of an LP a week. Regular maybe, but hardly in "frequent" use.

And you say there is hardly any wear? :eek:

[Jimbo]

I am certainly going to run my Blue for a while with its original stylus. For a spherical stylus the detail it retrieves is amazing . The micro scanner tip must be something to behold!

[Wakefield Turntables]

Looks like we are getting the para trace diamond after talking .to JW

[Clive]

Looks like we are getting the para trace diamond after talking .to JW
That's what's on my London Reference....you should end up with a very fine sounding Marroon!

[Jimbo]

Looks like we are getting the para trace diamond after talking .to JW

The para Trace is the best diamond profile of all fitted to the Decca, should sound stunning. I will be going for a line contact in a few months.

[YNWaN]

I've had a couple of Paratrace stylus fitted and whilst they sounded very good I felt they wore rather quickly. For that reason I last went for a Gyger S which does seem to be wearing better and is also kinder to surface noise.


100% Analogue

[Wakefield Turntables]

The para Trace is the best diamond profile of all fitted to the Decca, should sound stunning. I will be going for a line contact in a few months.

Why the Line contact, do DECCA blue's prefer this to paratrace?

[Jimbo]

Why the Line contact, do DECCA blue's prefer this to paratrace?

Can't fit a paratrace to a Blue :(

[Wakefield Turntables]

AHA! Thanks for the clarification.

[topoxforddoc]

It's only been in recent years that JW has had access to Paratrace tips, as these are a proprietary ESCO profile, I believe.

It's my Decca Maroon, which is now in Andrew's possession. It's probably had significantly less than 1000 hours, as it went into storage as soon as I had worked enough saturdays in 1980 at Canterbury Hi-Fi with Ken Kessler to pay for my Gold and a makeover from the long departed Garrott Bros.

[Barry]

It's only been in recent years that JW has had access to Paratrace tips, as these are a proprietary ESCO profile, I believe.

It's my Decca Maroon, which is now in Andrew's possession. It's probably had significantly less than 1000 hours, as it went into storage as soon as I had worked enough saturdays in 1980 at Canterbury Hi-Fi with Ken Kessler to pay for my Gold and a makeover from the long departed Garrott Bros.

I had the Garrott Bros fit a Weintz parabolic stylus to one of my Blues. It was a revalation at the time, but I later replaced it with a Gold, and since then I have mislaid the modified Blue. :( (A couple of years ago I sold a Decca International arm with a Blue cartridge. I thought it was a standard Mk. V, but I might have sold the Garrott by mistake!)

[walpurgis]

(A couple of years ago I sold a Decca International arm with a Blue cartridge. I thought it was a standard Mk. V, but I might have sold the Garrott by mistake!)

Oh dear.

[Wakefield Turntables]

This will be coming back after 1st week in September, I'm on holiday until the 9th so it's going to be a while before I hear it.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I'd forgotten about this, I paid my bill and this should be on it's way in the next few days.