Bwhite, many of the better MC phono stages have plug-in resistors to match the value that you want to load your cartridge to. This is the type of phono stage to get. Selector switches are ok, if they have the right values for you, but as you found out, they often do not. The best ones also allow capacitance loading, which is another can of worms, but can give even better results if you are willing to mess with it. My MFA Magus preamp has a plug built into the back for plug-in resistors, for cartridge loading. Do some more research on different brands of phono sections, and you will find some that have the plug-in resistor feature.
The guy who told you that all MC carts are designed to work into 47k was either confused, or doesn't know what he's talking about.
The guy who told you that all MC carts are designed to work into 47k was either confused, or doesn't know what he's talking about.