"The best platters that VPI made were the lead ones. They had to stop making them due to the new environmental laws ( no lead) 20 years ago. VPI claims that these were better than all the others!"
I don't think the disappearance of lead from VPI products was due to any law. Lead is still used in modern production and can be used safely given proper precautions. It was a decision of VPI, which they stated at the time to be out of environmental concern. Given their record of cost cutting, I'm not so sure.
" according to my friend, where VPI has made improvements is in their Pivot bearing. He said it is different than earlier models and is a large improvement."
Which "improvement" do you mean? Was it something subsequent to the change to the inverted bearing? By the way, is that generally regarded as an improvement?
I don't think the disappearance of lead from VPI products was due to any law. Lead is still used in modern production and can be used safely given proper precautions. It was a decision of VPI, which they stated at the time to be out of environmental concern. Given their record of cost cutting, I'm not so sure.
" according to my friend, where VPI has made improvements is in their Pivot bearing. He said it is different than earlier models and is a large improvement."
Which "improvement" do you mean? Was it something subsequent to the change to the inverted bearing? By the way, is that generally regarded as an improvement?