Custom-Made Ebony Wood Body for Nagaoka MP Series Cartridge

Custom-Made Ebony Wood Body for Nagaoka MP Series Cartridge

A wood body made of ebony for a Nagaoka cartridge (such as MP-110, MP-150, MP-200, or MP-500) gives the sound a more controlled, refined, and darker tonal character, enhancing the cartridge’s natural strengths while adding a touch of tightness and authority.

🎵 Sonic Effects of Ebony on Nagaoka Cartridges:

🪵 Why Ebony Has This Effect:

• High density (~1.1–1.3 g/cm³) → excellent mechanical damping

• Hard and stiff → suppresses unwanted resonances

• Natural damping → smooths treble and calms upper mid glare

• Inertial stability → helps stylus ride deeper grooves with less fuzziness

🎧 Overall Sound Signature with Ebony:

• Refined and audiophile-oriented

• Takes away some “zing” or edginess typical of stock Nagaoka cartridges

• Makes the sound more relaxed, authoritative, and “black background”-like

• You may lose a bit of "liveliness" compared to lighter, livelier woods (like birch or walnut), but you gain precision, body, and balance

✅ Best for Listeners Who:

• Want maximum control and quiet backgrounds

• Prefer a mature, laid-back presentation

• Listen to jazz, classical, acoustic

• Dislike treble glare or edge

⚠️ Notes:

• Adds mass: make sure your tonearm can handle the slightly increased weight (especially on lower compliance Nagaokas like MP-500)

• Ideal with medium-mass tonearms

• Pairs well with tube phono stages or warmer electronics

🔚 Summary:

An ebony body elevates the Nagaoka’s warmth and smoothness to a more audiophile, composed level. It’s not a “wow factor” wood like cocobolo or snakewood, but it's extremely musical, stable, and natural-sounding — perfect for longer listening sessions and balanced systems.