Would increasing the gain in the amp give more weight to the sound? Any negatives?

Yes, recordings made from records sound just fine, no complaints about the cartridge. The AcousTech has only two fixed settings for MM and MC.

So what is this "body" that you guys are talking about? I'm no expert but based on my (limited) experience, this lack of "body" is either because of at least one poor quality component in the sound chain or poor impedance mismatch if the components are all top shelf. Using a tape out and the phone in and the rest of the chain makes it more difficult to pinpoint the weakest link in the chain. All the best.

Being a simpleton I would first experiment by adjusting the VTA of your cartridge (granted that this is doable with your deck/arm).

Too lean a sound would dictate lowering the back/tail of the cartridge.

Being a simpleton I would first experiment by adjusting the VTA of your cartridge (granted that this is doable with your deck/arm).

Too lean a sound would dictate lowering the back/tail of the cartridge.

PS, and sorry for the double post (was distracted).

An easy way of checking this (if your deck uses a platter mat) would be to shim the mat a bit higher.

To start, place a thin LP (like an 70’s/80’s Euro import) under the mat which will effectively lower the tail of the cartridge.

If the sound is more to your liking, but you want more fullness then try a thicker LP/shim.

If positive results are achieved then look into adjusting such properly through arm adjustment.

There could also be cartridge loading problems, but I won’t go into this as I don’t know what gear you are using (plus I probably wouldn’t know enough to give decent adcice anyway-:).