Dear Dan: IMHO an according my experience through my audio years Sumiko was and is not a manufacturer but a company that only has audio productos on sale.
Grace was a totally independent company and a real manufacturer/designer of carrtridges/tonearms and other audio products in Japan: Shinawaga Musen. Sumiko only marketed some Grace models and nothing more in relation with Grace.
Supex was a different company than Grace with no relationship in between other that both were japanese. Where there is a relationship is between Supex and Koetsu. In 1985 Grace has for sale in Japan 22 different cartridge models.
I own some Grace/tonearms from Grace.
The GAS ( Great American Sound. ) Sleeping Beauty was manufactured by CORAL Corporation Japan:
"" GAS cartridge was made by "Coral" a popular speaker manufacturer in Asia and Europe during the 60's and 70's that went out of Business in 1985. Their products (primarily Speakers) were never imported into the USA but were popular with soldiers returning from Vietnam. GAS imported the Cartridge during the first moving coil craze of the 70's to compete with the Supex SD900, Fidelity Research FR1mkII and such obscure (in North America) companies as Satin and Entre. """
I own too de Andante and Pearl you name it and GAS and Coral MC cartridges.
That's what I can report about. Way different information from yours but obviously I can be wrong.
Btw, Lewm and Dgarreston ( look for the them. ) own the F9 Ruby by Soundsmith, you can contact them here:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/who-needs-a-mm-cartridge-type-when-we-have-mc
Regards and enjoy tyhe music,
R.
Grace was a totally independent company and a real manufacturer/designer of carrtridges/tonearms and other audio products in Japan: Shinawaga Musen. Sumiko only marketed some Grace models and nothing more in relation with Grace.
Supex was a different company than Grace with no relationship in between other that both were japanese. Where there is a relationship is between Supex and Koetsu. In 1985 Grace has for sale in Japan 22 different cartridge models.
I own some Grace/tonearms from Grace.
The GAS ( Great American Sound. ) Sleeping Beauty was manufactured by CORAL Corporation Japan:
"" GAS cartridge was made by "Coral" a popular speaker manufacturer in Asia and Europe during the 60's and 70's that went out of Business in 1985. Their products (primarily Speakers) were never imported into the USA but were popular with soldiers returning from Vietnam. GAS imported the Cartridge during the first moving coil craze of the 70's to compete with the Supex SD900, Fidelity Research FR1mkII and such obscure (in North America) companies as Satin and Entre. """
I own too de Andante and Pearl you name it and GAS and Coral MC cartridges.
That's what I can report about. Way different information from yours but obviously I can be wrong.
Btw, Lewm and Dgarreston ( look for the them. ) own the F9 Ruby by Soundsmith, you can contact them here:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/who-needs-a-mm-cartridge-type-when-we-have-mc
Regards and enjoy tyhe music,
R.