I'm fixing a G.R.D. Stereo 77 record player, and I think need a new cartridge for it - despite replacing the stylus the sound is rough on loud passages. So has anyone got the type of Merula cartridge that was used in the Labcraft turntables?

Do you have the cartridge model number? This mob seems to have a good range:

http://www.styli.co.nz/schumann-merula-cartridge.html

(BTW: What did the letters GRD stand for?)

Merula STC481. I think the problem is the suspension (which looks like PVC rubber) going hard.

I'm not sue what G.R.D. stands for. They, GRD Instruments P/L of Melbourne, importers of Labcraft and B&O, used to advertise on the inside side back covers of Electronics Australia. The Stereo 77 is an Australian-made bookshelf hifi system based around the Labcraft 643 turntable. Mine's date-stamped March 1968. And that's the sum total of what know!

Thanks for the info on GRD. I don't recall their ads, but then I haven't looked at a copy of EA for a long time now.

Seems from the NZ site that STC481 is the stylus model?

Googling around I can't find any mention of Schumann-Merula cartridges, however Merula has many hits on jukebox repair pages, so you may find an expert on one of those.

Re: poor sound from turntable. Distortion can be from anywhere. Speaker, amplifier, even the cartridge.

I feel that your problem is not from the cartridge as an old cartridge sounds bad at all sound levels. Ceramic cartridges distort badly when old. Even never used old stock will sound dreadful. Are you using a ceramic cartridge? If so you will probably find that overall, the sound is bad, and the loud passages even worse.

I set the stylus weight at 1.5 grams.

Wayne

I could put a magnetic cartridge in, but that would mean adding a preamp and shielding, and space is limited. I've just tried a BSR SC5M ceramic cartridge instead of the Merula (a tight fit!), and the sound is a LOT clearer. I've set the weight at 3.5 grams. The SC5M's don't seem to age as badly as some cartridges do, so they're good as standbys although they're a bit on the large side.

I'll ask the jukebox people about the Merula.

Hello! I have a bit more information on this. GRD stands for Godfrey Robert Donaldson, as far as I know, he was the first person to import Bang & Olufsen equipment to Australia.

The GRD units were custom built for his shop in Hawthorne. I just found all this out, as my girlfriend is his granddaughter.

I am very keen to try to track a G.R.D. Stereo 77 record player down for her, as no one in the family has one. Please send me a message if you know of one for sale.

Thanks for that info.