Teach me about cartridge 'retipping'

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.

Dear @needlestein : I'm not an expert of cartridges as you and other re-tippers or even audiophiles but maybe when @jcarr posted on that issue he was refering to tyny changes on the cartridge motor or in compliance, I don't know but maybe he can clarify about because through the years @jcarr always made precise/true explanations on different audio issues.

R.

I’m sure he was, but if you aren’t messing with the suspension or the cartridge motor, it makes no difference.  If you are messing with the suspension and the motor, then you aren’t retipping. You are rebuilding.  In that case, then, yes, lots of things can happen that would affect sound and operation.

Exactly an that’s the main subject on what I posted about that came from JC and that's a very high advantage for the top Lyra model owner because he will receive his cartridge with the latest up-date that no re-tipper can does because not even know what the cartridge designer made it, it is a " propietary " up-date.

R.

One of the drawbacks of the Lyra design is that it lends itself easily to repair.  

 That made me laugh ;).

I think its worth saying again: skill in building the transducer and a well organized parts grading system are what elevates the best cartridges. The same boron cantilever can easily be found on $1k carts and $10k carts. That does not mean the carts are the same.
I also think it is worth repeating: thank goodness we have so many good cartridge repair options! The darn things do break after all :)