Does it make sense to retip vdH Grasshopper cartridge

I generally agree with you on the statement below. However I think the line gets drawn at about $2,000, and in some cases higher for manufacturers that use OEM parIs readily available.

“I believe that the average cheap cartridges can be upgraded by retipper with better parts such as stylus/cantilever, but very special cartridges can not be upgraded by retipper if the retipper is not the original manufacturer of the cartridge. “

@jperry cartridge re-tipping is a good business, but most people don’t really understand what’s going on, so they trust to the retipper. The retipper does not have to explain everything in technical details (it’s too complicated), except some simple things. If a cartridge is back to the owner in good working condition the owner is happy. But the devil is in details.

None of the retipper is forcing a customer to proceed, the customers comes by their own, but a few people really understand the trade-off between original parts (sometimes unique parts made expecially for the cartridge designer) and different parts coming from the retippers (not bad, but different). J.Carr explained everything as a cartridge designer. There is a calculation of many parameters for a cartridge designer to use certain type of cantilever, stylus, suspension, coil material etc. The retipper has no idea about it.

In my opinion if you can’t service your MC cartridge with the original manufacturer then do not buy it or simply be aware of the expiration date of that original product.

I believe that the average cheap cartridges can be upgraded by retipper with better parts such as stylus/cantilever, but very special cartridges can not be upgraded by retipper if the retipper is not the original manufacturer of the cartridge.

The MM/MI cartridges are much better because the stylus can be replaced with a brand new original by user himself. Even very rare MM cartridges that cost over thousand dollars can be updated with new original styli. We can be sure that we’re listening to the original sound of the certain cartridge.

dcaudio Contact me and email me a few pictures of your cartridge. I have worked with Van Den Hul cartridges before. I have a VDH Frog that I retipped with boron line contact. 

All that said it leads to an interesting discussion since Van Den Hul retips and repairs cartridges from other manufacturers.

Do you think VDH does a disservice to those customers?

How many cantilevers and stylus configurations are really proprietary, in that nobody else has access to those parts?

How many cartridge manufacturers make their own in house styli and cantilevers, as opposed to purchasing from a specialist manufacturing those parts?

@clearthink 

There are many competent, qualified, expert re-tippers there is no reason to only return it to VDH although that is certainly a credible, valid, legitimate decision, choice, and option there are many others from which to decide, select, and choose.

There are indeed many others who will make a frankenstein from a VdH cartridge for money. 

I am wondering how many MC owners are so naive to send a nice cartridge from one manufacturer to an "expert" somewere else ? How do you know what you will get instead of the original VdH ? 

@dcaudio Definitely send it back to VdH if you want a VdH cartridge. 

Or simply forget it and buy another original cartridge from different manufacturer, maybe you will like it even better. But do not try to make a hybrid of the VdH cartridge and third-party parts adviced by some "experts". 

What about using Stylast on the stylus?

I'm getting ready to send my VDH MC10 to Netherlands (local dealer) for its 3rd re-tip and suspension. SO yeah do it they are great carts. If you don't want to I'll buy it from you. 

no warning that cleaning liquids dissolve the glue between cantilever and tip.

he’s been talking about it for years in all the audio forums of the world, I’m sorry you did not know.

What terrible product did you use for cleaning?

invictus005"Only send it to vdh. Otherwise throw it in the garbage."

There are many competent, qualified, expert re-tippers there is no reason to only return it to VDH although that is certainly a credible, valid, legitimate decision, choice, and option there are many others from which to decide, select, and choose.

I don’t think you will do better than the Grasshopper for under $1,000. Use Magic Eraser for cleaning instead of liquid cleaners.

Out of curiosity, when you had VdHul retip in the past, did you provide him with information on what arm you are using? My understanding is that he tunes each cartridge accordingly. (I had a higher output VdHul years ago that was retipped, but wasn't using it in a linear arm). 
There is a thread active here on the 'Gon now about linear arms that has a lot of good info on the ET2, tweaks, etc. 
I have a Kuzma Airline, and just sent my cartridge (an Airtight Supreme) off for a retip. In the meantime, I bought a freshly retipped old Monster Genesis 1000, an entirely different sounding cartridge from the Airtight, to use as a stopgap. One thing I have observed-- the Monster is more of a medium compliance cartridge compared to the Airtight, and in some ways, I like its tracking and compliance behavior better on the arm due to the horizontal forces at play. 
If you do retip (again), you might raise with VdHul the fact that you lost the stylus and have been a repeat customer for a long time. He is not getting any younger, - i think he's near 80, isn't he?-- but he might help you out.  Good luck! 

Dear @dcaudio: Stay with the vdH Grasshopper, very good performer indeed.
But you only have to send to vdH for the retip ( VDH stylus only VDH has it and till today nothing outperforms ( yet ) it out there. ) and nothing more.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.