TheDDG

(continued) Other than the occasional noise, everything was working fine until my wife dropped the tone arm past the arm rest, banging the stylus on the base. After that, the tone arm would jump into the middle of the first track and skip repeatedly. I did a fair amount of internet research and tried to re-setup my table (balancing tone arm, setting tracking force, bought an anti-skate weight), but only succeeded in making things worse. I'll buy a replacement cartridge in anticipation of meeting with you, since I was looking to replace anyway. Also, if it's easier for me to come to you, I can do so. I don't want to put you out at all. Thanks again for your time, and if you have any advice in the interim, I'm all ears!

Hi Glenn,

Thanks so much for the quick reply! I'll be at home Friday, but am supposed to travel to Albany Saturday morning. I'll be home early afternoon on Sunday. Obviously, whatever day/time works best for you will suit me fine! The turntable is a Pro-ject, although I'm not sure of the model (it's about 15 years old and I've misplaced the manual over the years...looks like a Debut Carbon). The cartridge is a Sumiko Oyster, which came stock with the turntable and still has the original stylus, although the turntable has only been used steadily for short periods over its life. I've been considering changing out the cartridge even before having these issues, since I've noticed some noise in the high-end on certain records and I've read numerous complaints about the Oyster.

Regards,
Darryl

Hi Darryl -

I would be happy to help you. Usually when an arm skates to the center, that indicates a bad (or dirty) stylus. I'm kind of tied up this week, but could come take a look on Friday evening or the weekend. I'm no expert, but I've done my share of troubleshooting.

What turntable & cartridge are you using? How new is the stylus?

regards,
Glenn