Elliptical needles have more efficient contact with the surface of the record than a conical tip. Original needle color is usually: LIGHT GREEN • NOTE: Because this needle is designed for use specifically with SHURE cartridges, it can be found in numerous brands of turntables. In some cases the cartridges for this needle may be original equipment supplied with a new turntable, but was also likely to have been selected at time of sale to complete a turntable sold without a cartridge or later as an upgrade to the original cartridge supplied by the turntable manufacturer. This needle should be matched primarily to the SHURE cartridge type not necessarily the turntable.