Teach me about cartridge 'retipping'

"I tip only for exceptional service."

Two Buck Chuck.

Dug up this old thread when a friend recently was trying to get me to buy a Glanz MFG610LX

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/glanz-mfg-610lx

In it, I stumbled across this entry by Chakster.  I couldn’t believe it.  I still wonder if I am reading this incorrectly.  I’m new here.  

“The Azzurra Esoter comes with spherical/conical stulus and that’s why it is not expensive, but the MF generator is the same on all Glanz models, it’s is probably equal to Astatic MF-300 or MF-400. But Azurra is unknown and that’s why it’s cheaper than Astatic or Glanz. I got one as a present from Nandric last year, i have tested it and i was impressed, mainly because it’s easy to re-cantilever and te-rip them in Germany by Axel to upgrade this cartridge to another level! Axel can easity repair suspension as well (just for about 60 euro, i did it once with my NOS Glanz 71L).”

Seems like at one point, you were all for retipping rare and different cartridges, @chakster. In this thread you are gushing about it. What changed your mind?

Raul,

Even the very top models today still use the same diamonds from the same big three manufacturers.  I have replaced the worn Gyger S on many Jan Allaerts cartridges.  If you want Jan to do it, be prepared to wait a few years in line.  This is what I am told.  
I hear also that Lukaschek is not repairing/retipping Benz anymore, either.  Not a big deal as Benz uses Namiki Micro Ridge and Gyger S and FG2.

Dynavector DRT XV-1S uses an off the shelf Ogura PF 8/30 micron 0.08 x 0.14 Vital that Ogura sells to me, too.  I can also upgrade. 
People who live near me have the ability to meet me in person and hand the cartridge off to me personally.

As to whether a cartridge will sound different or not, I can’t honestly comment.  I can tell you that a cartridge with a worn diamond sounds much worse than a cartridge with a brand new diamond.  But I don’t get the benefit of hearing the cartridge I am repairing when it was brand new, so how should I know?  I read this comment all the time on forums but not one customer has ever said, “Great work!  But it sounds different than it did before and I wish I bought a new one instead.”  That has happened exactly zero times.  Quite the opposite.  People are very very happy to have their cartridge back.  

Dear @needlestein :  "  Even the very top models today still use the same diamonds from the same big three manufacturers.  I have replaced the worn Gyger S on many Jan Allaerts cartridges . "

In specific with the very top LOMC cartridges the issue is not that re-tippers can't find out the cartridge parts but what J.Carr posted in the past and that makes a difference that no re-tipper can even. Here is what I posted about:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/teach-me-about-cartridge-retipping/post?postid=2069763#206976...

Btw, Jan re-tipped my MC2 Gold in only 1.5 month not " years ". I was lucky that time.

R.

I find Mr. Carr’s statements in the topic to be overly conservative as well as a bit fanciful.  There are many examples of ranges of cartridges or replaceable styli that have nothing different about them but the cantilever and diamond.  So to say that in every case that a diamond and cantilever are chosen and resonant characteristics so carefully considered and then the suspension damper chosen accordingly makes it sound like there is an infinite number of bespoke formulations of compounds and materials available free to be mixed like pigment into a medium.  But that is not the case and certainly not the prevailing practice.  Perhaps in Mr. Carr’s world there is such fine scrutiny, but I don’t think it’s even possible.  To consider the resonant characteristics of a diamond and cantilever as a starting place leads right back to the fact that there are, in fact, very few combinations of diamond and cantilever combinations to consider, and fewer today than there were a couple decades ago.  There were many more manufacturers of diamonds and many more cantilever options regarding material selection and shape.  Besides if one is not replacing the suspension or the damper, what difference does it make?  Regardless of which damper is chosen and what diameter suspension tie wire the designer chooses, the cantilever for a Lyra is still going to be a solid boron cantilever and Ogura 3/70 diamond.

A cartridge manufacturer is in the business of selling cartridges.  One of the drawbacks of the Lyra design is that it lends itself easily to repair.  Mr. Carr has warned that even the Washi tape affects the compliance of the suspension and affects the sound.  That’s total BS.