Denon DL 103 modifications and re-body questions thread

Chakster, The DL103 is the particular pet cartridge, especially among US aficionados, for those who dream of getting a lot for a little.  (Who doesn't dream of that?)  You can find endless threads on Vinyl Asylum devoted to the DL103 and 103R, many of which discuss these various aftermarket bodies for the cartridge. (In fact, lohanimal ought to do a search on VA.)  On VA you can find extravagant claims for the wonderfulness of the DL103. So, I think that's why it gets a lot of attention. 

Moreover, there is some justification for the notion that the DL103 might be a "bargain".  Big companies, like Denon and Audio Technica, can often produce a better cartridge at a lower cost, compared to the smaller companies that specialize in the high end.  However, to be clear, I am not one of its disciples.

https://www.audioasylum.com/reviews/Phono-Cartridge/Uwe-s-Wood-Body-Denon-103-103R/Ebony-Wood-Body/vinyl/69/694577.html

I wrote that review in 2007. Used a Uwe ebony body, a generic aluminum body and another body in clavellin from Uwe. Found the ebony and aluminum to sound pretty similar. The ebony was perhaps just a touch warmer, the aluminum a bit more dynamic. 

Did not like the clavellin. Found it to be a bit thin and tipped up compared to the other two. So different woods will sound quite different. It should be noted that there are different types of ebony and an ebony from one wood body seller might be considerably different from another. Aluminum is aluminum. 

The other advantage of aluminum is that there is no chance of stripping the mounting holes, which is what happened to my ebony body after a number of years of use/dismounting & remounting. 

Do not use any body where the nude 103 simply slides in. The body and the ‘guts’ need to be properly adhered to each other like the Zu potting technique. The aluminum body cap works wonders because it is bolted through the body and the tone arm.