I have just bought a Beogram 5500. Great, but unfortunately the stylus is inclined, bending towards the center. Maybe because of this, one channel is missing. It seems I am not alone with this problem. I discovered an add for another Beogram with the photo below. Does this have to do with the tangental arm? Is there something wrong with it, or is it just how the stylus become with age? How can it affect the records? I want to make sure about this before investing in a new cartridge.

Not supposed to be like that - the suspension has gone. I think you need a new cartridge. 

I have a MMC3 in exactly this condition which came from a later version tangential tracking deck. These decks track by using the tonearm movements via the stylus to trigger a circuit which tells the servo motor to step the tonearm on. This seems to have caused the breakdown in the internal cartridge suspension - the strange thing is that the cartridge works perfectly on a Beogram 1800 which has a more standard radial arm & pulls the cantilever straight when playing.

Chris.

I don't believe that this damage is anything to do with the tangential tracking system.

The cause is more likely due to abuse by the user or to transit damage exacerbated by idiot eBay sellers who send these decks through the parcel courier system with inadequate and/or misplaced packaging!

If I buy a deck on eBay and have it shipped to me, I now assume that I will receive a box of bits. Anything better than that and it's a bonus.

Over the years, one deck has arrived wrapped in one sheet of brown paper and placed in a cardboard box and one was wrapped in a sheet of newspaper!!

The cartridge in the picture could possibly be repaired and retipped providing the coils are still OK. Remove the cartridge and measure the resistance across opposite pins on the rear. Open circuit means that the cartridge is u/s, a low resistance means that it is OK and can be refurbished by Axel.

The cartridge in the photo is from a Beogram 4500, which I believe was one of the last turntables the made. Do you suggest that an older Beogram, like for instance TX, would not have this problem?

Does it mean that this will happen sooner or later again if I get a new cartridge? Is this possible to avoid with this model of turntable, or simply something you have to count with?

Ola
in north Sweden

I don't believe it is anything to do with the tangential system.

Cantilevers get bent for all sorts of reasons. The cartridge is probably 20 years old and can have suffered all types of abuse in that time. It may simply be that the suspension has failed due to old age.

I have seen cantilevers bent the other way - explain that!!

Axel has refurbished my cartridge.

I received it from Germany yesterday and it seems to work well so far. Meaning I now have a mmc2 with brand new Shibata stylus for much less than a simple mmc4 copy would cost. I was afraid this cartridge would be a hopeless case, but Axel is a miracle engineer!

Things could be worse