cartridge mounting?

[ferninando]

What is a good reference for using all the little gadgets and shims and screws and things for mounting for mounting a cartridge.?
When do you have to use any of those things?
thanks for info.

 

[boreas]

I don't know of a particular reference that covers this but, in my experience, the only use I've ever made of shims was to fine tune VTA on tables without an adjustable tonearm. The only other "gadget" I'm familiar with are cylindrical spacers that are intended to do the same thing. New Duals used to come with a package of these spacers.

John

 

[ferninando]

so is it safe to say that you can just mount straight to the headshell as long as it allows the arm to be set and balanced with rite overhang( got all the stuff for that, and tracking azmuth.) Have the technics gage to adjust the stylus for overhang.
Just have lots of leftover stuff from previous cartridges and wonder if any of it is needed for better cart mounting.
And by the way boreas, Iv finished the dust cover tab fix and will post pics. I still needed to remove alum from the bracket and even som from the cover itself at the old tongue area to get the adjustment rite so that the cover would close evenly. not enuf to weaken anything and if fits real good now.
thanks for that fix.

 

[sxty8goats]

check out the setup guide here:

http://www.soundfountain.com/amb/ttadjust.html#INTRO

And here:

http://walkeraudio.com/lloyd-walker-on-fine-tuning-your-turntable/

Most technics tables I own have a VTF adjustment so you wouldn't need the shims. If you don't have a VTF adjustment you may find them useful.

 

[boreas]

Most technics tables I own have a VTF adjustment so you wouldn't need the shims. If you don't have a VTF adjustment you may find them useful.

One way or the other, all Technics tables have adjustable VTF but shims play no useful role in setting it. Do you mean VTA? Shims can be useful for that.

The OP has been rehabbing an SL-D2 (or D3). That table has no adjustment for VTA so, depending on the cartridge he's using, shims may indeed be useful.

John

 

[boreas]

so is it safe to say that you can just mount straight to the headshell as long as it allows the arm to be set and balanced with rite overhang( got all the stuff for that, and tracking azmuth.)

Shims don't help with overhang adjustment. The slots in the headshell do that. You might find that you'll need some shims to get the right VTA (if the arm ends up sloping down at the front). Otherwise, you can forget about shims. If the arm is high at the front, you may want to experiment with thinner mats but shims would actually make that situation worse.

John

 

[ferninando]

VT''A'' not adj on SLD2. onlt tracking force. got all that down pat. And overhang, azmuth etal. Never have used any shims on any other carts I'v had over the yrs so don't see a need to use any now. Just was wondering if I 'shud' be concerned. I have quite a collection of various leftover parts and pieces, screws, shims, spacers and the like.
About the only thing is screws can come in handy.
thanks for the info.

 

[boreas]

VT''A'' not adj on SLD2. onlt tracking force. got all that down pat. And overhang, azmuth etal. Never have used any shims on any other carts I'v had over the yrs so don't see a need to use any now. Just was wondering if I 'shud' be concerned. I have quite a collection of various leftover parts and pieces, screws, shims, spacers and the like.
About the only thing is screws can come in handy.
thanks for the info.

Some of what you're thinking of as shims may in fact be weights. These might be useful in the future if, for instance, you run into a situation where the cartridge and/or headshell you're using are too light to bring into balance. Adding weight to the headshell would b e a way to correct that.

John

 

[TobascoKid]

Over the years the record industry changed record cutting angle from 15° to 23°. A shim can convert an odd cartridge angle into something more compatible with records. Since we don’t know which records have what tracking angle, it is all immaterial. Some claim that vertically adjustable tonearms compensate but ones with 16° adjustments have yet to be built. I’d welcome any tonearm maker to do it. Or…just use shims to do the job simply but in a clumsy way.

 

[boreas]

Over the years the record industry changed record cutting angle from 15° to 23°. A shim can convert an odd cartridge angle into something more compatible with records. Since we don’t know which records have what tracking angle, it is all immaterial. Some claim that vertically adjustable tonearms compensate but ones with 16° adjustments have yet to be built. I’d welcome any tonearm maker to do it. Or…just use shims to do the job simply but in a clumsy way.

Or you could just get an ADC Integra. It's designed for precisely 16° of adjustment (+/-8°).

(But in all cases I think the actual cutter is set at 90° from the plane of the acetate.)

John

 

[hamsterdam]

i was going to open a thread for this, but it follows with the discussion. i purchased, as many know, an AT 440-mlA Cart to replace the Tracker on my Music Hall MMF 2.2. Well, this cart takes much longer screws than did the Tracker. i was able to tune it in, but soon i would notice the cart seeming to ride low, and need to do minor tweaks.

Yesterday, i decided to put some effort into correcting this, and what i did made it sparkle like i've never heard it. The screws were hanging down enough to impede full seating of the stylus assembly, so i simply turned the screws upside down. Their heads sit well above the stylus assembly, and after aligning, i used a small, thin nylon shim (one of several that came with the cart) to perfect the azimuth(one use for 'em). Now the ends of the screws come up thru the headshell, with the nuts on top to be tightened, or easily loosened to adjust or replace.

The odd aspect of this TT, and connecting a cart was brought up by another, who did not use the long screws that came with the AT. The finger lift on the MH Pro-Ject tonearm is held to the headshell by the cart screws. That guy's solution was to leave the finger lift off. For me, turning the screws around opened the sound window even wider, and it is Lushhhh.

Has anyone experienced this with any cart/headshell/tonearm combination?

Cheers,

—dave

 

[boreas]

i was going to open a thread for this, but it follows with the discussion. i purchased, as many know, an AT 440-mlA Cart to replace the Tracker on my Music Hall MMF 2.2. Well, this cart takes much longer screws than did the Tracker. i was able to tune it in, but soon i would notice the cart seeming to ride low, and need to do minor tweaks.

Yesterday, i decided to put some effort into correcting this, and what i did made it sparkle like i've never heard it. The screws were hanging down enough to impede full seating of the stylus assembly, so i simply turned the screws upside down. Their heads sit well above the stylus assembly, and after aligning, i used a small, thin nylon shim (one of several that came with the cart) to perfect the azimuth(one use for 'em). Now the ends of the screws come up thru the headshell, with the nuts on top to be tightened, or easily loosened to adjust or replace.

The odd aspect of this TT, and connecting a cart was brought up by another, who did not use the long screws that came with the AT. The finger lift on the MH Pro-Ject tonearm is held to the headshell by the cart screws. That guy's solution was to leave the finger lift off. For me, turning the screws around opened the sound window even wider, and it is Lushhhh.

Has anyone experienced this with any cart/headshell/tonearm combination?

Cheers,

—dave

Many times but I hate the looks of having the screws sticking up in the air. There's nothing wrong with it, just a personal hangup of mine.

When this happens to me I usually shorten the screws or, in rare instances (like today ), when the screws are just a hair too short, I whittle a little bit on the stylus assembly.

John

 

[marvoboy]

I'm new to this website and looking for cartridge mounting screws, can anybody tell me where to find them?
Thanks
marvoboy

 

[boreas]

I'm new to this website and looking for cartridge mounting screws, can anybody tell me where to find them?
Thanks
marvoboy

Welcome to AK. There are several sellers on eBay who offer them. Ideally, you want aluminum or perhaps nylon since both these materials are light and, importantly non-magnetic.

Nagaoka sells a pack of aluminum cartridge screws in assorted lengths. Weirdly, the pack contains 18 screws but only 4 nuts and 4 washers.

Brass is also non-magnetic but heavy. Some stainless steel is non-magnetic and all of it is less magnetic than conventional steel. Screws made from both these materials can be found as many hardware stores.

John

 

[Sam Cogley]

A possible lightweight option is nylon hardware. My local ACE carries it, and I've mounted a few carts that way.

 

[marcmorin]

Over the years the record industry changed record cutting angle from 15° to 23°. A shim can convert an odd cartridge angle into something more compatible with records. Since we don’t know which records have what tracking angle, it is all immaterial. Some claim that vertically adjustable tonearms compensate but ones with 16° adjustments have yet to be built. I’d welcome any tonearm maker to do it. Or…just use shims to do the job simply but in a clumsy way.

OK, the rake angle of the bit may have been changed, but the information sits on the vinyl wall perpendicular to the groove floor. Shimming for which cutting rake angle was used makes no sense.