For cartridges that are not built by Soundsmith,

“What do i do if I need more than ONE cartridge rebuilt?”…..Please register (once only) and obtain a NEW RA number for each unit to be sent to us. You may send more then one cartridge in your shipping box, but please put at LEAST ONE RA number on the box, and all of them inside the box with your details. If your cartridge has been here before, our form allows you to reference a PAST RA #, or type them in where you can with your details, so we can look up and know the history.

“Can my cartridge be rebuilt, even if the cantilever is snapped off?” The answer is generally yes; if the damage has not caused internal problems to the cartridge. Peter inspects for all types of internal damage on the cartridges that come in for service. You also have the option of paying for an initial evaluation, and if the cartridge is repairable, the fee can be applied to the work.   Certain cartridges require considerably more time and effort to rebuild properly – high end Clearaudio, Koetsu, and others. If you select one of the price ranges shown for these types or others and it does NOT apply to your make and model, we will contact you before starting the repair when its turn comes up in queue. Please be aware that Peter’s vast 40 plus years of experience allows him to perform internal repair work that no one else in the world can do.

We offer basic service for retipping services, as well as replacement of the complete cantilever/stylus if required. Although more difficult and more costly, retipping only is by far the preferred method of restoration where the cantilever is intact and the diamond has been lost or worn. For these, we perform “retipping only” with our low mass Nude Contact Line styli, our Optimized Contour Nude Contact Line design or one of many other diamond designs we stock.

“Retipping Only” takes more time and is more difficult to do properly, but often has near zero risk, except for hollow PIPE type boron or sapphire cantilevers.  The cost for this service ranges from $350 – $650, depending on the cartridge model and how much other work is needed.

If your cartridge is missing the cantilever and stylus, or it is badly damaged, we can usually replace the complete cantilever & stylus assembly. We perform this repair at many levels, using different materials (Aluminum, Ruby, Boron) with costs ranging from $200 to $650, depending on cartridge model, how much damage there is and other work that may be needed. Many cartridges, even lower cost ones, can be improved in performance through our repair work and upgrades as performance can be limited by the original cantilever/stylus combination.