Should I try a MC cartridge and phono pre?

Before I went the MC route, I would first buy a newer turntable (probably a belt drive), with a better tonearm. I owned the SL-1300 about 35 years ago when it came out. It's not a bad tt for your average MM cartridge, but I wouldn't put an expensive cartridge on it and then have to buy a MC phono stage. I don't think you'd realize the performance potential of MC that way. I vote: sell it on ebay and start fresh!

I'm not an analog guru by any stretch, but when I phoned Music Hall to inquire about the appropriateness of mounting a Sumiko BPS (MC) cart to a Music Hall MMF 2.1, I was told that it would not be a good idea because the bearings in the tonearm aren't made to high enough tolerance to bring out the best performance from a MC cartridge. The MMF 2.1 is a current entry-level audiophile belt-drive turntable, and while it's an unrelated comparison to what you're asking, it does speak to the suggestion of using a better MM cartridge on your table, or scrapping the lot and heading for higher ground.

As an aside, I've since redone my analog system and went to a better 'table (Michell Gyro SE), but I chose to stay with a MM cart (Shure V15 IV) just because I can replace the stylus - a re-tip job is too likely with the fumbling hands around my household (mine included!)

MC cartridge picks up much less EM noise than MM, has wider freequency bandwidth and can improve ANY turntable setup. Going with high-output version of MC cartridge is also benefit to MM in many cases.

Why not try it, and then if you don't like it, try another TT.