Can Yamaha MC-5 and MC-9 cartridges be re-tipped?

I would check with Soundsmith or one of the other cartridge retip, repair services.

Beryllium cantilevers are no longer available.
Yes, they are superior, but you can try Boron.

The MC-9 was a hundred dollar cartridge when new. It had an elliptical shaped stylus. It was most likely made by Audio- Technica. I think you would be better off getting a new cartridge than paying the expense of retipping!!

@yogiboy 

The MC-9 was a hundred dollar cartridge when new. It had an elliptical shaped stylus. It was most likely made by Audio- Technica. I think you would be better off getting a new cartridge than paying the expense of retipping!!

SSSHHHHH - some folk here still believe in floobydust - 30 year old cartridges sound as good as they were new with a retip. They think the elastomer/rubber dampers last forever, metal doen't corrode and other wonderful myths. NOS MM's that have been carefully aged for 30 years are actually better than every $10000 cartrdge made today.
In fact some of the more generous folk on the forum buy carefully aged MM's off Japanese auction sites and sell them for under $10k ! With a bit of luck you can get one that has been cleaned by the Tsunami ( adds that aroma of natural seawater ) and glows day and night.

@dover
Gosh darn, I wonder who that folk might be?

@yogiboy No worries, it’s a nightmare of rich retired dealer from Australia addressed to me, I believe :)

SSSHHHHH - some folk here still believe in floobydust - 30 year old cartridges sound as good as they were new with a retip. They think the elastomer/rubber dampers last forever, metal doen’t corrode and other wonderful myths. NOS MM’s that have been carefully aged for 30 years are actually better than every $10000 cartrdge made today. In fact some of the more generous folk on the forum buy carefully aged MM’s off Japanese auction sites and sell them for under $10k ! With a bit of luck you can get one that has been cleaned by the Tsunami ( adds that aroma of natural seawater ) and glows day and night.

I still don’t know where do I sell those cartridges and how many did I sell in the last few years? I wish to hear it from Dover. Because he can’t sleep thinking about me, even when he’s not sleeping driving his Porsche car, he’s thinking about much younger Russian guy who sells one cartridge per hour just because of contribution on audiogon. He might think it’s enough to post something like "this vintage cartridge is good" and it will be immediately sold, people must be fools and sellers are cheaters, my system is junk according to his philosophy, especially all my DD turntables. Only reach people are smart, and only their new $20k cartridges and $60k turntables can reproduce music right, but only with the right $3k power cord and special fuse :)

It’s funny because another Australian a’gon member Halcro with Porsche car thinks differently and appreciate vintage MM or MI cartridges, he even make needle drops videos with many different carts. Not all rich people are the same!

P.S. It is true that Japanese cartridges must be purchased from Japan, but American cartridges must be purchased from America and European cartridges from Europe. The truth is that all junk must be avoided and NOS cartridges are extremely rare and not easy to find! If refurbishing/retipping of a cheap cartridge cost more than a new cartridge it’s better to buy new (or nos) cartridge.

I had a MC9 in use and didn't like it! I soon replaced it with a $90 Grado!