Stanton

Origins of Stanton

Stanton Magnetics, now known as Stanton, was founded in 1946 by Norman C. Pickering as Pickering Associates, Inc. Walter O. Stanton joined the company as vice president in charge of sales in 1948 and succeeded Pickering as president in 1950. In 1961, Stanton established the Stanton Magnetics brand to focus on professional broadcast and recording products. The company is known for its contributions to the audio industry, including the invention of the first replaceable phonograph stylus by Walter Stanton, which helped create a consumer market for audio equipment. This invention, along with the development of the first microgroove phono cartridge, the first user-replaceable stylus in 1954, and the first stereo cartridge in 1958, positioned Stanton to meet the demands of the hi-fi market and the advent of the 33⅓ rpm Long Play (LP) microgroove vinyl record.