The Cartridgeman Isolater.

I have used super glue to firm up the various joints on my Maplenoll arm, including the headshell/cartridge interface. In each case, (I listened before and after each application) it improved tracking/clarity.

The advantage to using super glue in this instance is that the capillary action pulls the glue into the joint very effectively. Super glue is not as permanent as one might think and I have never had a problem removing my cartridge. If a joint needs to be taken apart and disconcerting resistance is met, applying a bit of heat to the metal part or parts invoved will encourage the glue to let go. A hot soldering iron is very effective in safely transfering heat in this situation.

Incidentally, all applications of super glue were done with the joints in their final position, ie. with headshell screws firmly in place. The glue then handily fills whatever gap is left rather than creating a new one. I very cheap, accessible and effective tweak.

I will say that I have alot of experience with fine workmanship and using super glue. I do not recommend doing this unless you are rightly confident with the process.

Dougdeacon,

the whole advantage, as I see it, of the normal super glue is that it is very thin and effortlessly gets drawn into whatever gaps are present. In other words, it automatically creates the perfect bond. If the gaps are too big a second application will fill them while still making use of the capillary action of being drawn into the joint.

In my case, I applied the super glue through the headshell slots quite easily. The other joints were also very simple, although the Maplenoll isn't exactly intimidating in this regard.

I'm not sure how the Nightingale relates.

Groovy,

there are actually many cartridges with wood bodies: all the reference Grados, the upper Benzs, the Cardas Heart, some of the Clearaudios, some of the Koetsus, the Sumiko Celebration, the new Phase Tech P-1 and others.

Ketchup,

I don't claim to "know" what the truly "perfect" bond would be, but relatively speaking, the super glue automatically is drawn into the joint to fill any gaps, without introducing another interface between the cartridge and the headshell which mate directly. It dampens without dampening, as it were, since the super glue hardens rather than staying semisoft like contact cement would. Intuitively, this seems ideal to me. It also sounds better (cleaner, not brighter) to me, on my table/arm/cartridge.