Original US model Shure SC35C

[kininigin]

Well, mine has just arrived in the post! I won't get a chance to play with it until the weekend, though, so will report my findings here then

Marco.

Glad they have arrived ok,regarding the the slight rust on a couple of the pins,i used some very fine sandpaper and then some alcohol and they come up quite well.
Actually,i've just remembered,i've got some brasso wadding lying around somewhere,to get them nice and shiny.

I 've not had a play with vtf yet and im about to go out and buy some shambala tickets(festival for 3 days of hedonism ) so will try later.

[Marco]

Hi Darren,

I've got a special fibreglass pen, I use for cleaning the pins on valves, which will be ideal for that job. I'll finish things off then with some Blue Horizon contact cleaner, and it'll be job done!

I wouldn't advise using Brasso, as it's liable to leave some residue on the pins, after cleaning, which is difficult to completely remove.

You should get yourself one of the fibreglass pens - they're very handy and do a great job: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIBREGLASS...=item27bb510fb



Marco.

[kininigin]

Hi Darren,

I've got a special fibreglass pen, I use for cleaning the pins on valves, which will be ideal for that job. I'll finish things off then with some Blue Horizon contact cleaner, and it'll be job done!

I wouldn't advise using Brasso, as it's liable to leave some residue on the pins, after cleaning, which is difficult to completely remove.

You should get yourself one of the fibreglass pens - they're very handy and do a great job: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIBREGLASS...=item27bb510fb



Marco.

I should of known you'd be well on top of the situation

Cheers for the link,they look perfect for the job.

[kininigin]

Tickets can wait

I've got vtf at 3.0g and it sounds good,im going to stick with this for awhile.

Reading the paperwork that came with it,shure say it was tested with sme arms,are these high/medium/low mass arms?

[Marco]

Chances are in those days it was a 3009, given the age of the cartridge. The 3009 I would say is 'low to medium-mass', with its stock headshell.

I have a hunch that that the SC35C will like a bit of mass (as do most conical-tipped cartridges), so I'll be fitting it on one of my NOS high-mass headshells, in the Jelco, and starting VTF at 2.8g, working upwards if necessary. If I hear any mistracking at 3g or so, I'll up the downforce accordingly.

I'm not sure it needs any more than that for hi-fi use, as the 4.5g recommendation will likely only have been for extra stability in broadcasting studios. Such a high VTF, I reckon, would probably have dulled its high-frequency response.

Other than a spherical-tipped SPU, and juke box cartridges, I've yet to hear any cartridge that benefits in hi-fi use from such a high VTF.

Marco.

[kininigin]

I wasn't hearing much,if any difference between 4.0g and 3.0g so will stick with this then work down.

Im using the AT LS-12 you sold me which weighs the same as the stock jelco at 12g but feels alot more substantial and solid.

Out of curiousity,how long do you think the stylus needs to run in for?

[Marco]

Hi Darren,

You should hear a bit more top-end 'sparkle' with a significantly lower VTF...

The LS-12 headshell will be ideal for the job!

In terms of 'running-in' the stylus, sometimes a few album sides are enough, but other times it takes longer - much depends on the stylus type and the quality of diamond used.

You'll know when the sound begins to 'flesh out' and gain more body and texture, and when the top-end becomes less 'insistent'

Marco.

[Barry]

What happened to the Shure SC35 body I gave you Marco?

Cheers

[Marco]

I've still got it, Barry - why?

Marco.

[DSJR]

I don't know if Shure's conical tips in the 80's were any better than the roughly polished bits of coal they made in the 70's, but a good few hours should sort that out with luck..

Don't be tempted to go too low in playing weight, otherwise you'll be as bad as I was at the time. I used 4g at the time, and I think the Beeb still had Gates decks with the heavy old Grey tonearm, a huge bit of ironmongery with a damped ball and cup stabilised unipivot bearing.

At some point, the BBC went over to SP10's with their own design of arm, using OM-Pro's which were regarded as "better." I have an Om-pro and also a GT, which sounds similar but in a 500 series body. Both mistrack a bit on difficult sibilant records which fine-line tips sail through with no audible dissssstortion...

Marco, you ought to have a current Stanton 500V3 as a modern reference, I think it's a fine cartridge still and tracks safely at 3g (the Ortofons say 4g and 4g it HAS to be!).