Sorry man. Sadly that’s a tale I’ve heard FAR too often over the years. My friend Tom had a Dynavector XX-2 killed this way. The best surefire way to prevent this is having your analog gear in a room that can be locked off from access by the cleaning lady, and clean that room yourself. Or at least, get an arm with removable wands or headshells; remove and lock them up safe before a cleaning (you better remember each time, too). You’d be amazed at how ineffective verbal instructions can be. You need physical barriers.
Since at a minimum here the cantilever & suspension is compromised/destroyed (probably the coils too), a retip will not do. You’ll need either a full rebuild (e.,g. Soundsmith) or to trade-in for a new one.
Choosing a cartridge from a company with a good rebuild policy -- which I consider to be a rebuild for more than 50% off retail price of new (e.g. Koetsu, Ortofon) -- helps mitigate the blow at times like this. Benz used to have excellent trade-in & trade-up prices, but I’m not sure what they offer now.
I've owned a few Benzes, and I know that the Wood L was a really nice sounding unit :(
Since at a minimum here the cantilever & suspension is compromised/destroyed (probably the coils too), a retip will not do. You’ll need either a full rebuild (e.,g. Soundsmith) or to trade-in for a new one.
Choosing a cartridge from a company with a good rebuild policy -- which I consider to be a rebuild for more than 50% off retail price of new (e.g. Koetsu, Ortofon) -- helps mitigate the blow at times like this. Benz used to have excellent trade-in & trade-up prices, but I’m not sure what they offer now.
I've owned a few Benzes, and I know that the Wood L was a really nice sounding unit :(