Can anyone suggest a good universal headshell?

Sumiko used to sell some really rigid headshells with az adjust. Look out for some. Also Sumiko used to sell really good ofc cartridge wires (same as the old Fulton). These will upgrade almost any headshell.

You can find the Sumiko HS-12 at Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct and Needle Doctor for $40. I would buy from Acoustic Sounds because they do a great job stocking all that delicious new vinyl.

I took a look at the Sumiko on the Web. The screw slots aren't intented on top, which I like. Too bad it lacks an integral finger-lift, is there a screw-down type that can be added onto the flat top?

Viridian, wow, a wide variety of cartridges. The Audioquest-branded Orsonic is *excellent* and might be cheaper compared to the straight Orsonic. You could try the Audio-Technica 'Technihard' series, available from Audiocubes in a few different weights. Unfortunately not universal - you will probably want to match headshell weight to cartridge weight. On the other hand, they're not super-expensive.

With the Ikeda arm, I've found the Ikeda 1S/1R headshell excellent. It allows very little twisting though and many cartridges are too long to set overhang properly. juki has 'em. So does JAT.