70’s rock pressings. Witch equipment deserve?

I like the Grado cartridges. We use a Grado Gold mounted in our SL-1200 to play back tracks we’ve cut on our Scully mastering lathe. Its a sort of standard- if it can play it back, we’ve not overcut it. And we’ve shown that it has bandwidth past 35KHz mounted in that arm.

Grado GOLD is relatively cheap cartridge, i like Grado too, but by reference Grado is Signature model from Joseph Grado (model XTZ).

Anecdotally I’ve run a Transfiguration Orpheus for some years. One time a channel failed so I had to send it back. While waiting for it (or a replacement), I was jones’n for tunes and realized that I had a Grado Green (at the time, retail of $35.00) sitting new in the box. Since my Triplanar is very adjustable, I set it up and took the time to do it right. It was at this point that I realized that the ability to track the cartridge correctly was far more important than the kind of cartridge you have; the Green tracked perfectly although it sounded a bit ’up front’. Then I remembered that loading is critical on high output MM cartridges; once I get that right (using a 10K resistor) it was quite relaxed and other than having more output, was not significantly different from the Orpheus in any way I could discern. I threw some real torture tracks at it and it was effortless.

I did get the point using 10k resistor, i’m using 100k Vishay Naked Foil instead, all Grado are MI (not MM :))

The main concern anyone should have using an older MM cartridge is that the suspension for the cantilever perishes over time; whether you are using the cartridge or not after 3-5 years it simply won’t meet spec.

No one would buy all those expensive vintage cartridges if there could be any single problem with suspension or anything else, but we have a big group of people here on audiogon who’re hunting (or hunted) for vintage high-end cartridges (MM, MI or MC). People are not stupid, those who have less experience with vintage MM or MC always scare others. Those old cartridges are superior to many new cartridges, condition must be perfect. I bought over 50 of them and except for the Technics i can’t remember any vintage MM cartridge with softened rubber suspension. And my high compliance cartridge are still high (rubber damper is not stiffer). What is that ? A miracle ?

P.S. I have a good news even for the owners of Technics top of the line cartridges P100cmk4 and EPC-100cmk4 (they are the most problematic and this is where the suspension always fails): JICO REPAIR SERVICE in JAPAN can replace the old TTDD damper without replacing the original Technics cantilever and tip. I want to make it clear: this is not about new Jico stylus replacement, it’s about repair of the damper only (original technics boron pipe cantilever is intact). Probably it’s the best new repair service worldwide, because JICO is the manufacturer and their tech skills in microsurgery must be great. Anyone? I know you guys love to repair your cartridges. 

I don't know what kind of equipment you own  But I use a Shitt Mani phono pre.Its as good as Regas and others selling for $500 .I have lots of 70s Rock and Prog and Soundtracks ....ELP sounds great Now.

I agree with @chakster 

Two of my more costly vintage MM cartridges I had checked by Soundsmith and were said to be operating as good as new. One was actually nos and the other had an estimated 150 hours. Or else I was just lucky. 

Very interesting - that was my exact feeling about this much revered arm. I kept my opinions to myself lest I be outed as a cloth eared cretin. Peerless in some departments, but very boring, as it cannot convey rhythmic information with any conviction.

I had an SME V on a VPI TNT 3 about 12 years ago.  I always thought it sounded lifeless too. I sold it and bought a Eminent Technology 2 tonearm and it brought my system back to life in a big way.  I miss that combo.

Grado GOLD is relatively cheap cartridge, i like Grado too, but by reference Grado is Signature model from Joseph Grado (model XTZ).

Yes, we’re running one of those in our shop turntable.

No one would buy all those expensive vintage cartridges if there could be any single problem with suspension or anything else,

What?? Of course they would- because they don’t have a good reference for knowing how the cartridge performed when new! The only way I would buy an older MM cartridge would be if it had a replaceable stylus and I knew i could get it. The cartridge body will last indefinitely and the stylus is very hard to wear out, but the cantilever suspension is the tricky bit and pretty vulnerable to the ravages of time. I’ve brought some back to life by applying a small bit of brake fluid to the suspension and letting it sit for a while positioned in such a way that the fluid didn’t contaminate the stylus. But that’s really a move of desperation (although it did buy me nearly a year before it was obvious the suspension was just gone). It doesn’t always work, depending on what happened to the suspension when it perished- did it get hard or go to goo? If hard, there’s a chance it will come around. If goo, you’ll need a new stylus.