Thanks. I have a SMMC4 for my later turntables & agree that it is very good, though I prefer the sound of the MMC2... for most records.
I have sent my 2 defunct (or defunkt?) MMC4000's to Germany for Axel Schürholz to diagnose with a view to possible repair. (My German colleague returned from the ski-slopes with a broken arm but was kind enough to 'phone for me & established - although he felt a bit out of his depth with the technical terms himself - that it was worth sending the 'one-channel' cartridge as collapsed suspension can be the cause).
Supplementary question(s): have other tangential-tracking turntable users reached any conclusions as to which are the best styli & cantilevers to request? The MMC4000 originally had an aluminium cantilever & elliptical stylus & higher specification MMC's had more complex stylus profiles & more exotic cantilevers (of my cartridges, my favourite overall is the MMC20CL). However, Herr Schürholz lists only aluminium cantilevers for the MMC3-6000's & spherical, elliptical or Shibata styli & accoding to my (confused) colleague seems to be of the opinion that aluminium is all that is needed: though he also said (I understand) that all the cantilevers & styli listed under Moving Coil retipping could also be used:
MC Systeme / MC Cartridges
mit sphärischer Diamant Nadel und Alu Cantilever € 89,00
mit elliptischer Diamant Nadel und Alu Cantilever € 99,00
mit elliptischer Diamant Nadel und BORON Cantilever ( Ausverkauft )
mit Nude Line Diamant Nadel und Alu Cantilever € 159,00
mit Hyper elliptischer Diamant Nadel HE und Alu Cantilever € 169,00
mit rebuilt Shibata Diamant Nadel und Alu Cantilever € 179,00
mit Nude elliptical Diamant Nadel und BORON Cantilever € 195,00
mit Nude elliptical Diamant Nadel und ALU Cantilever € 189,00
mit Original Nude Shibata Diamant Nadel und CARBON Cantilever € 225,00
mit Original Nude Shibata Diamant Nadel und Alu Cantilever € 265,00
mit Original Nude Shibata Diamant Nadel und BORON Cantilever € 265,00
mit Original GYGER II Diamant Nadel und Alu Cantilever € 265,00
I am also uncertain what a 'rebuilt' Shibata diamond is. Is it a Shibata tip on a metal, or other, shank?
I would welcome any advice, though my feeling is that Nude Line or HE on aluminium is closest to the original... on the other hand, Shibata on Boron would be close to a MMC5000 specification.
Adam (confused) Kimberley, London, UK.