Looking for a Replacement for AT VM740ML Cartridge

@wturkey 

Thanks for the idea.  We do not have nickel coins Down Under, though we mine plenty of nickel!

The VM540ML has a designed tracking force between 1.8 and 2.2 grams.

The SME 3009 tone arm is a high-precision, low mass design and worked particularly well with the Shure V15 high compliance cartridges, tracking at about 1 gram.  Tracking force is applied by turning a big counterweight until the arm balances level, then sliding a smaller weight along a calibrated rod to apply tracking force.  The rod is marked in 1/4 gram intervals and stops short at 1.5 grams.  It is easy enough to turn the big counterweight to give more tracking force, but you have to use some other way of measuring it.  No drama with digital scales..

The anti-skating force is applied by a bob weight dangling on a very fine line running through a miniature pulley.  The other end of the line loops around another calibrated rod to apply side pressure.  Once again, the rod length is designed for a maximum of 1.5 grams tracking force.

The obvious solution is to increase the mass of the bob weight with some very small nickel equivalent with a central hole!  I have test records with tracks for setting the anti-skating force but I have not worked out how to use them yet!

@richardbrand,

I am using a Jico stylus on my Shure V15-4 cartridge.  VN45HE SAS/B, it cost less than $300 from LP Gear, received it in less than 5 days and I am on the east coast.  It has the carbon brush

@stereo5

Thanks! My Shure cartridge is the V15 type III. When I priced that Jico stylus it was A$399 plus delivery while the VM540ML complete cartridge was A$409.69 including delivery and a head shell I cannot use. I ordered it on Friday night and it was on my doorstep next morning. Not bad for Amazon and inland Australia!

This is probably not helping the OP, though! His VM760ML has 2-db better channel separation and goes to 30-kHz versus 27-kHz which could make it a bit brighter than its lesser (on paper) brother. It seems odd to propose an upgrade to Shure V15 because they have been out of production for yonks, but maybe it does make sense in the context of wanting to stay with moving magnet cartridges?

VM750SH a fantastic cartridge with no glaring, etchings highs. Great mids and wonderful lows. The Shibata stylus digs deep into the grooves and pulls out things in and on a record that I haven’t heard since the record was new. The VM750SH with the Shibata stylus makes a scratchy album sound new because of it’s deep depth of seating in the groove profile. It digs way deeper than a ML and is hundreds of dollars less without the high end glare of the ML, IMHO. It replaced a vintage Shure V15Vx cartridge with a Shure VN5xMR stylus. Simply no comparison whatsoever on my turntable. I've tried the Jico replacement styli for Shure cartridges but never liked the un-warmness and squeaky highs. 

@tyray I had a Shibata, the VM750SH  from AT …kept it for about a week then sold it on EBay taking a loss. I hated it, was way too relaxed for me, lost all my highs. I understand some people love a Shibata Stylus, just wasn’t my cup of tea.