Using the right stylus

Typical stylii are made of diamond with a rounded cone and a hemispherical tip of radius 2.5 mil (0.0025 inches, 0.06 mm). It is the standard size for playing all 78s made from 1954 onwards, and will also give good results on some older records.

However, early records were not cut to a standard groove width, depth or angle. The width was usually larger, so a standard stylus would sink down and "bottom-out", picking up noise from detritus deposited in the depths of the groove. A refinement to the hemispherical shape is the bi-radial or elliptical stylus tip, which provides better tracing of high frequency waveforms. During manufacture, part of the front radius is removed to make a truncated stylus, reducing the possibility of contact with the noisiest part of the groove.

A truncated elliptical diamond stylus may cost around £50 sterling. A recommended series of stylus sizes is as follows:

• Pre-1920 discs 0.004 inch (4 mil)

• 1920-1939 discs 0.0035 inch (3.5 mil)

• Post-1939 discs 0.0028 inch (2.8 mil)

• Post 1954 discs 0.0025 inch (2.5 mil)

If you decide to invest in a set of different sizes of stylus, it will often be a matter of trial-and-error to find the best one for a particular record. The choice depends on the manufacturing company's standards, the condition and age of the record. A heuristic approach is suggested.

A heavily scratched record surface may produce loud clicks from damage across the top of the grooves and a smaller stylus may reduce this.

High hiss may indicate that the stylus is resting on detritus at the bottom of the grooves, and a larger stylus tip will help.

Information on styli is available from the specialist manufacturer, the Expert Stylus Company, P.O. Box 3, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 2QD, United Kingdom. This company can also provide the Shure M44-7 cartridge with or without a fitted stylus.