Just A few questions. (DIY, stereo)

[piaptk]

Cutting styli very rarely show up. And they will always be condition unknown (unless they are sealed) But when they do, there are a few types:

1."Diamonds" - these are almost always just sapphires listed by people who have no clue. NEVER expect to see a diamond stylus on ebay. Ive only seen one actual diamond there, and it was one i listed personally after i bought it from vinylium.
2. Steel - old school steel needles wont fit in anything but crystal heads on suitcase style home units. And even if theyve never been used, they will sound awful because the steel gets pitted with age (and they havent been made for 50 years)
3. Sapphire/ruby - these are the good ones.
4. Stellite - made of metal, but look more lime a sapphire (the "stone" has a very shiny, metallic appearance). These supposedly didnt last as long, and were cheaper, than sapphires. Ive used them to emboss and had no problem. They sound just as good and ive cut a lot of records with them.