Over the last few years, I've accumulated a mess of cartridges from TTs I've bought. Some of them sound pretty good, some don't and a few have the stylus bent sideways. And of course, I have no way to tell how worn they are.

I don't know a lot about carts, so let me ask AKs experts: which of these, if any, would be worth putting a new stylus on?

ADC PSX 30
Pickering TL-3
Audio Technica S12E
Audio Technica ATU4000
Radio Shack R1000XT (it's a Shure)

I think that the Rat Shack cart is actually a Shure M-75 type II. You can figure it out by looking at the stylus interchange on variuos web sites. Surprising, but it may be the best cartridge there. I have not heard most of those though.

I'm in the same boat and have a whole box of carts, one is an R1000E with a good stylus. I wonder what the difference is between the E and the XT? It is worth mounting up?

Clyde

You can still easily find original equipment styli for the AT12 and the R1000XT. If you don't have a decided preference based on past usage, the AT12 would be my suggestion, both because I've always found AT's more musically compelling than Shures, and also because Garage-a-Records lists six different styli that are interchangeable on your body. You can put on anything from a cheap conical to a sophisticated Shibata--having choices is fun!