Vinyl Virgin seeks additional advice

I would:
1. Call local audio dealer to come back and get it right
2. Check anti-skate to see if that will cut down "skipping."
3. Check VTF with a scale to make sure you are in the right range for your cart (if you don't have one, you can get a scale for as little as $20 from any of the online audio retailers). You definately do not want to be adjusting the VTF without knowing that you are within the correct parameters for your cartridge.

The TT should NOT be that finicky. It just needs to be set up properly. Good luck.

The table should not be that finicky, but you could have inadvertently made the problem worse by lessening the tracking force (VTF). If there is adjustable anti-skate, and you reduced teh VTF, anti-skate would need to be reduced as well. Its also possible that you have gunk on your stylus from used and new LPs. Buy some Magic Eraser at your grocery store and read the thread on this forum on its use. If that does not work and if there is no binding of the arm due to improper dressing of the tone arm wiring, bring it back to the dealer for re-set. Also you will need a stylus force gauge if you want to experiment with changing VTF. At that level, a $20 shure balance type gauge should be sufficient.

If you were playing the same record both days the first thing that you should have done was to get your best magnifing glass out and just make sure that the stylus is sill intact.

I agree with 2002ss335. I don't know why everyone on these discussions are fixated with Anti- Skate. I makes very little difference if any at all.

Thanks for your input. I'm going to call the dealer who replaced the cart and see if he can take care of it. Any thoughts on why it would play great the first day and then not play after that?