Which cartridge for an SME 3009 non improved detachable H/shell

[andvinylly]

I'm sure this has been covered before, but doing a trawl through the internet shows lots of options' have several cartridges in the mix, any thoughts as to the best match would be appreciated
option 1 Goldring 1012 gx
option 2 Ortofon Blue MM
I have other cartridges but cannot vouch for the amount of wear they have had, apart from a Shure M75ed,which will need a new stylus's also have an old Ortofon VMS 20 E mk 2,again probably needing a new stylus, should I consider any of these or just buy a modern compatible cartridge, such as ???
sorry a bit of a ramble

 

[Tony L]

If you can find one at a reasonable price I’d actually recommend the best Ortofon 500 series you can find. I used a 540/II in a fixed shell 3009 Improved and it was a superb match that would track anything with ease. The 540 was the predecessor to the 2M Black and is IMHO the better cartridge as the body is lighter and easier to align and the capacitance requirements not as extreme. The 500 range is now deleted, but styluses are still available. The OM range would be just as good, e.g. an OM40 is pretty much a 540 in a different body shape and still nice and light. Grado would fit nicely weight and compliance wise too.

By saying that a fixed shell 3009 will be happy with any medium to high compliance MM with a fairly light body weight. Avoid anything with a heavy metal body as it will struggle to balance it out and the heavier counterweights are like hens teeth and change hands for a lot of money. Try to stick to a body weight of 5-6g or less if you can. You can get away with more but the weight ends up quite far back.

 

[andvinylly]

OK Thanks for that Tony,it looks like my first 2 options are just a little too heavy for a good match,I hadn't considered the Ortofon 500 or OM series tbh,so ill keep those in mind as well.The Grado Prestige also looked a contender, but I have no experience of them at all.I hear good things about the Nagaoka,but on paper only the top of the range 500,matches for compliance,and bit more than I was hoping to spend at present