A worn stylus can damage your records permenantly!
You can send your stylus / record needle for visual checking.
No charges for this service only the costs for shipping!
If there is dust/debris around the tip, it will be cleaned as well as good as possible with special cleaning fluid.
If the stylus needs replacement you can get an advise for a replacement stylus but no need to buy (your own decision what to do I only advise!).
When the tip is still good for use this will also be said!!!
In general you can remember this (when using a stylus under normal conditions):
SAPPHIRE Tip lasts for about 40-60* hours.
DIAMOND Tip lasts for about 400-600* hours.
ELLIPTICAL DIAMOND Tips may last 1000* hours (the more elliptical tips have less friction so less wear).
*These hours are from TONAR.
To keep track of the usage period of your stylus you can use this specific stylus timer:
TONAR STYLUS TIMER / TURNTABLE ODOMETER
Dirty records, scratches, wrong pressure of the tip etc. can wear down and/or damage any tip faster.
A worn down stylus can damage a record permanently!!!
Just be aware: the wearing down of the stylus tip goes slowly and your ears don't hear that (unless it's too late...).
When you have used a stylus for very long and then replacing it with a brand new one you will hear the difference for sure and only then realizing how much the old stylus was worn down.
Note to SAPPHIRE vs. DIAMOND tips:
DIAMOND lasts much longer but (in general) is also more expensive.
If you rarely play a record you can go for a SAPPHIRE tip.
As SAPPHIRE is less hard then DIAMOND it wears down faster, but on the other side also causes less damage when it is worn down.
Some styli have 2 sides: one SAPPHIRE tip and one DIAMOND tip. These styli used to have 1 side for 78 RPM in the past but as 78 RPM records vanished mostly those styli were replaced with 2 regular tips.
Often the DIAMOND side is used and when it is worn down it is turned around so you can still play some records with the other side until a replacement stylus is available.
To this I must say: when you want to play 78 RPM records be aware that you have to use a different tip then for 33/45 RPM!!!
For more information, options, advice and the costs for returning your stylus feel free to contact VIParts.
Please also read the Record Cleaning Service for additional information for getting the best sound quality from records!
P.S. I'm giving as much information as possible as far as I know it all, but if there is any information not correct or not complete feel free to tell me!!!
I will surely take a close look at any additional information to any topic.
Record & Stylus Cleaning
Products for keeping your records & stylus clean can be found here:
