Wonder Why No Japanese Retippers?

It may be because they have the manufacturers do the retipping. 

@mijostyn Not all manufacturers/builders still exist. Ikeda does not service their direct scanner cartridges. Transfiguration no longer exists, maybe Mutech will do them? What about the classic Sony, JVC, or Audio Technica?

@neonknight  : Maybe Japanese just does not cares about and always are buying the latest models, so who cares about the " past " other that audio´philes as us.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

@rauliruegas Well the Japanese did buy up much of the vintage JBL, Western Electric, McIntosh, Altec and other classic gear. Seems like they have an appreciation for the old also. 

How do we know that there are not re-tippers in japan available for Japanese audiophiles? I would bet that there are such persons. The Pacific Ocean is a significant obstacle to their doing business in the United States.
 

It is considered sacrilegious to revive the dead in Japan - the retippers would have to perform harikari - hence no retippers in Japan.  Arigatou!

are you fluent in japanese, @neonknight ? or do you live in japan? how did you come to conclusion?

@cey Neither to both, although my adopted mother is Japanese and I have been to Tokyo twice. There are plenty of sellers of vintage cartridges on Ebay, and one thing I notice is that none of the cartridges are advertised as retipped, but there are ones sold for parts or needing new diamond. Also the analog community is fairly tight, and we hear about places like Fonolab that is a resource for vintage Japanese tonearms service and parts. But nothing for cartridges. Audio boards like Audiogon, Audio Asylum, Audiokarma and what not have members all over the world and have not reported on one that I have seen. I imagine the Japanese have their own audio boards, and I suppose Google translate will let you read a lot of what is written, it's a matter of finding the sites. But that is the reason for the post...are there Japanese retip services, as I have never run across any info indicating there is.

so youre not plugged in to or immersed in any japanese audiophile communities, @neonknight? are you connected to any japanese audiophiles enough to have any idea if there are japanese retippers out there among japanese audiophiles?

if u have a koetsu, they retip and rebuild your cart. 

I’m quite confident that there are retippers in japan who don’t speak English and do not want to be bothered with attracting non-Japanese speaking clientele. We travel to Tokyo every year to visit our son. We’re going again in late May. I’ll ask.

@cey Looks like you have not been following the Koetsu story. They have shut down due to the death of the son, and will no longer offer product or rebuild services. Nor will they be selling to company to another to continue the line.

@lewm I would think that would be the case. There I have been into a few Japanese audio stores during my trips, and they do have a passionate group of hobbyists. I am curious, the cartridge companies that do directly export to the US and Europe, are their domestic prices significantly different than what we get here? Or are all the Japanese companies using distributors, and with another level of mark up?

I was recently looking at a Forum based in Japan, that I did not Bookmark.

I’m sure when doing translations there was reference to Cartridge Repairs, but can’t recall if non OEM services were being referenced.

As for Koetsu, it is very early in their change of direction, to be able to really say with surety, that the Companies future is able to be forecast.    

@rauliruegas I got into high end audio back in the early/mid 80’s.  In the early 90’s I was selling Micro Seiki, Saec, Highphonic cartridges as well as various USA and English equipment and speaker brands.  We modified a lot of tube equipment and I know that not only my tech but I knew a couple others that were buying old tube gear and sending it over to Japan and usually just selling it as-is as they wanted it stock.  I don’t remember all the brands, but I know old Marantz tube gear was a big one.  My tech told me he would sell it for 3-4 times what he paid for it here and that the Japanese were buying a lot of old tube gear.  I remember feeling sad that so much vintage gear was leaving the country.  

i know koetsu is shutting down, @neonknight. they were wildly popular over here and offered customers retip and rebuild. that is the relevant part. not knowing isnt evidence of non-existence. 

@cey Then who will service Koetsu for Japanese owners? Will it be another manufacturer like Excel? There is precedent for this in Europe, as Goldring offers retipping services for other cartridges, as does Van Den Hul. 

Here is a list of world wide retippers, and there is not a Japanese rebuilder referenced. Which is also odd since Japanese companies are major suppliers of diamonds and cantilever assemblies. 

Worldwide List of Phono Cartridge Retippers and Rebuilders - Audionirvana.org

I think that list is missing AllClear in Australia, and Joseph Long in the US. 

Seems like there should be some Japanese entries, and all i wonder is why there is not. As @lewm says, there probably is and they only serve the domestic market. Even so, it sure would be interesting to know of their craft and what cartridges they may specialize in. 

Dear @neonknight ​@harpo75  : The tread is about cartridges and not abouut other audio items.

The best place to buy vintge cartridges are ebay from Japanese sellers and Yahoo and other Japan  sites.

The reason why we can get any vintage cartridges and some of them in NOS or mint condition is for what I posted.

Just comon sense and one of the post of neon confirm mine.

R.

Neon, you don’t realize how introverted the Japanese can be. If you live in Japan and own a cartridge that needs retipping, I’d guess it’s like finding alcohol during Prohibition. You have to know a guy.