Cartridge Setup?


Being a confirmed Audiogonoholic, I love the idea of getting a great deal on a cartridge for my just-acquired turntable rig.I hate the idea of going to a dealer and paying retail for a cartridge. But I'm really nervous about the prospect of setting up my own system. Any thoughts?

Thanks, David
deshapiro
But please review a pretty funny recent thread on "Breaking my Blue Point Special" before you try to set up your cartridge. Many many people are all thumbs when it comes to the delicate maneuvers required to plug in the tiny leads and carefully adjust the tiny screws without bending or breaking or otherwise obliterating the tiny stylus on their brand new cartridge. It can be done, but if you fail, read the thread before you jump out a high window.
Hi David. As stated cartridge setup is not all that difficult. It can be time consuming and somewhat tedious, but it is kind of fun. If you have some basic (small)hand tools and reasonable hand dexterity you can do it yourself. A few years back M. Fremmer published an article in his "Analog Corner" section of stereophile. The article was a step by step and covered two issues. If you can't find it e-mail me and I will be happy to send it to you. Probably the most important thing is to be "of sound mind and body". I usually find that Saturday morning after a good night of rest with a good cup of coffee is the best time to do it (just don't spill the coffee). The other thing you should do is check the setup after about 25-30 hours. Good Luck, Doug
David,
Check Galen Carol Audio (gcaudio.com)website. He has a nice little article on how to set up your turntable and cartridge. You can print it off free and it will be a substantial help. The most useful "instrument" I have come accross to set your cartridge up correctly is the Wallytractor protractor. They are ARM SPECIFIC so make sure you have the right one. He also makes an instrument to set up VTA. Graham makes a great coupling box to set azmuth.
It all takes time and significant "tinkering by ear" to get the end result. Good luck and go for it.
Boato2
The right equipment makes all the difference. I don't know if I would even try it w/o my MoFi Geodisc. They are still obtainable Along with that you need a scale for setting the tracking force. I use a cheap Shure gage from Lyle Cartridges. Laura Deerborn Gives excellent tips in her book "Good Sound." Along with step by step instructions. As has been pointed out already be prepared to spend some time. Don't bother if you are clumsy or can't work in confined spaces. It's not as hard as it sounds. Have fun!!!
Nrchy
Hi Nrchy,
I'm trying to track down a place to get the Mobile Fidelity "Geo Disk" Called Needle Doctor and they didn't know? In this area, Hi Fi shops are few and far between, and few of them know anything about "Fuzzy Woblies" I've tried to setup a Blue Point Special with a 2 point protractor on a Linn Basik arm on a Rega 2, one of the dealers here has said that protractor alignment isn't very accurate? Which becons the call "Where are the GEO Disk?" Had a table a few years ago that had a Grado aligned with the "Geo Disk" less expensive table, but I feel the footprint was acurate. Any and all responses appreciated..