A stylus body is provided and has a generally elongated shape. A tip member (220) extends from the front of the stylus body, the tip member preferably being elongated and narrowing to a point at its front end. A pair of spaced conductive wires (280) are disposed in said tip member. A plurality of apertures (223) are provided in the narrowing portion of the tip member, these apertures permitting efficient emission of acoustic energy from the spark gap at the wire ends. By having the spark gap substantially centrally within the tip member and close to the stylus point that contacts the working surface, the errors and inconsistencies that can result from different rotational orientations and/or tilts of the stylus are minimized.