Turntable Needle

Turntable Needle

Does anyone know what cartridge and needle i can use on an Onkyo cp-1036a turntable?

old record player, need a new cartridge and needle.

All I was able to find on that table was a tiny photo. It looks like a linear tracking turntable that can use any P-mount phono cartridge, but I can't be 100% sure from that tiny photo of the whole turntable. There is still a decent selection of P-mount cartridges available from around $20.00 and up. A better model with an elliptical stylus would sound clearer but cost a little more than a cheapie with a conical stylus. Any new cartridge will come with a new stylus (needle) and you should be able to find info on what the proper stylus replacement for your new cartridge is when you make your purchase. Might pay to pick up a replacement stylus or two when you can in case they become unavailable later.... A diamond stylus of the quality you'll be looking at should last around 500 hours of play.

If you're able to provide a couple digital snapshots including a front and side view of where the cartridge is or where it's supposed to be (they wouldn't have to be great photos, just better than a 1-inch photo of the whole table which is all I could find), I could tell you 100% for sure what cartridges would fit. If you're in the USA, I could recommend a few models depending on what you're looking to spend and a good web retailer or two to buy from. If not, I could still give you a few good models to look for. My email is royphil345@yahoo.com if you'd like to send photos or require any further assistance in getting the old Onkyo going.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!!!

P.S. Another thing that might be helpful... Many stereo and home theater systems today lack an input marked "phono". Only a few systems still come with a "phono" input. If the system you want to plug the turntable into is lacking an input marked "phono", you'll require a separate phono preamp to enable using the turntable with any standard line-level input (CD, DVD, tape, aux, etc...).