Soundsmith - Thank you to everyone.

Peter, I don't think I've ever seen another hifi designer write so appealingly and show their hunan side so openly
Totally refreshing 

@retipper Very diplomatic answer, but i’m curious about inspiration, as i can see your friend Frank Schröder is definitely inspired by classic tonearm design from the past, his Model B looks like very old Grey Research and related tonearms. As far as i know B&O developed their cartridges before you signed contract with them to improve the line of B&O carts. This is a predecessors of SoundSmith own line of cartridges?

I have seen some damping materials in MC designs turn to cracked stone in 2 years, ones I assume worked extremely well when new.

Many of us here collect vintage MC cartridges, turntables and tonearms and rate them high even in comparison to the new ones. Suspension of some brand new cartridges sometimes fail quicker than old ones. One example of LOMC cartridges with suspension that never fails is FR-7fz designed by Ikeda-San. A low compliance heavy monster, but Air-Core Coil, we have huge fan club of this series on audiogon.

Others are 40 years old and work perfectly.

At least you said that, fair enough.

It is true, because there are great cartridges that passed the time test and works just fine. Those were made with the right combination of materials.
Some materials are no longer available like Beryllium cantilevers (here is a Gold-Plated Beryllium that was an ideal material according to the old AT engineer later replaced with Gold-Plated Boron on another version of AT-ML180) or Hollow Pipe Boron cantilevers with ultra low mass or like this Grace LEVEL II BR/MR with micro ridge stylus tip mounted without glue (a tip mounting hole made using a laser beam). or this short gemstone cantilever invented by Dr.Tominary of Dynavector. Or that strange gemstone cantilever/stylus made from one piece of diamond by Sony (model 88D). Way different technology that we do not see anymore in modern design.

Ikeda LOMC cantilever-less design or cantilever-less Decca MI or Victor Direct-Coupled MC recently improved and used by Audio-Technica ART-1000

when you reduce the moving mass dramatically as I have done and cannot be done in MC designs, damping becomes orders of magnitude easier and more efficient. A win-win.

So there is no telling - even if I DO tell you of some I love, how you will find good ones?

I will. I have museum of vintage cartridges on my records shelf. But this is not the advice for me to buy what you liked, it is something that inspired you with your huge experience in rebuilt. It’s about clever design. Something rare and interesting.

So forgive me my vagueness - I just don’t want to misdirect. What I CAN tell you is what a wonder it is to find a well designed MM, MI or MC that HAS been traveling at 3/4 the speed of light, and after rebuilding, it plays so well........

I’m curious, what is a well designed MM/MI or MC from the past (not new) in your opinion ? I’ve never sent any vintage cartridge for rebuilding yet, just because my favorite vintage MM, MI and MC are just fine, i use time machine to travel back in the 80’s to find them.

Obviously Strain Gauge designs, although none have survived well, which is why I don’t work on them. Early Fairchild Stereo units. Some still are fantastic. Stax, for its cleverness, Dynavector 23 and similar, due to low mass (but terribly fragile), some Ortofon MI designs, Grace, and of course the B&O, upon which my line has evolved from. I have to say that as a person, VDH has befriended me from the beginning, and upon meeting and seeing my work, asked me "Are we competitors, or colleagues?"

I said it would be an honor to be considered a colleague; so he said "GOOT!" and shook my hand heartily and said - "What ever you need - always call me!" I have never taken him up on that, but I am always warmly welcomed by him whenever we happen to meet. The generous invitation was more than I needed or deserved. Indeed a gentleman and innovator, at a minimum. There is much to the man.

Peter Ledermann

I have to say that as a person, VDH has befriended me from the beginning, and upon meeting and seeing my work, asked me "Are we competitors, or colleagues?" I said it would be an honor to be considered a colleague; so he said "GOOT!" and shook my hand heartily and said - "What ever you need - always call me!"

Brilliant! :))

  Dynavector 23 and similar, due to low mass (but terribly fragile), some Ortofon MI designs, Grace, and of course the B&O, upon which my line has evolved from.

Very nice, glad to see Dynavector and Grace in your list.

One of the rarest cantilever from Grace in my private collection of their original styli is Ceramic for LEVEL II (and Ceramic version for F14 model) made in the 80's. 

Never seen any other cartridge with thin black Ceramic cantilever in my life. I think this is the most exotic type of cantilever, if you're familiar with Ceramic cantilevers it would be nice to spread the light, because it's such a rare type. Would be nice to hear your comment if you seen anything like that, Peter.  

Grace is the only company to my knowledge that made nearly all kings of cantilevers for their styli (Aluminum, Beryllium Pipe, Ruby, Sapphire, Boron Pipe and finally Ceramic Pipe). Also different diamonds (Conical, Elliptical, Advanced Luminal Trace, Discrete 4, Utility 4, and finally Micro Ridge for the latest models like LEVEL II and F14).

P.S. Surprised not to see any American manufacturers in your list :) Michael Fremer managed to record an interview with Norman Pickering, link to the audiofile is there. The interesting point is how Walter O. Stanton took Pickering's company and started Stanton Magnetics Inc. 

I remember then because of the MC versus MM subject:
Stanton and Pickering very low output (low impedance) MM cartridges was an alternative to LOMC. An interesting design with Stereohedron tip.       

Suspensions tended to fail with long term age. They WERE great carts. My favorite comment was from Walter Stanton, who during a large meeting with sales reps, was asked "Why do the diamond styli cost so much?"
Walter responded properly.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM WE DROP?"
Peter Ledermann