Interesting thread... :)My take on this is that, sure - if you have your cartridge rebuild by SoundSmith or someone else with similar rebuild-offering, the cartridge will not come back as being the same as the original and it will not sound the same as the original. This may not automatically be a bad thing, it can be a good thing, the cartridge may sound better than original - especially if you have an older cartridge with a simple cantilever and stylus. This way the service offering by Soundsmith etc can be less expensive than buying a new cartridge.
But if you have a more exotic cartridge, like the Lyra etc or an exclusive Zyx, then this may not be such a good idea because Soundsmith etc. can't rebuild it to original status. You may or may not like the result. It can be a disaster.
But for simpler and less exotic cartridges, common ones like Denon DL-103, 110/160, Dynavector 10x5 or 10x20, Sumiko BPS etc, a rebuild by SoundSmith may be a great solution and can also be an upgrade.
But if you have a more exotic cartridge, like the Lyra etc or an exclusive Zyx, then this may not be such a good idea because Soundsmith etc. can't rebuild it to original status. You may or may not like the result. It can be a disaster.
But for simpler and less exotic cartridges, common ones like Denon DL-103, 110/160, Dynavector 10x5 or 10x20, Sumiko BPS etc, a rebuild by SoundSmith may be a great solution and can also be an upgrade.