Hi Steve,
Cello and his family are safe and well. They are in the FL area where Katrina hit first. Home and business were both disrupted, but not damaged AFAIK.
Much scarier, they have a daughter attending Tulane. She got out fine and brought 3 friends home with her. They are staying with Cello and his family until things get sorted out. I'm sure Cello's open-hearted hospitality is a great relief to some very anxious parents.
I still have my 901, sitting in a box. If you check the reviews beneath my signature you'll see where we've gone since: Airy 2, Airy 3 and UNIverse.
ZYX compliance (12cu/15cu) is higher than a Shelter (9cu) and an unweighted ZYX is lighter too. That's why a ZYX on most tonearms needs the optional weight. It *may* not be needed on an ET2 however, as I mentioned above.
By all means switch to the mylar tape from the silk thread. I posted a comparison here a couple of years ago. The tape is much better at resisting stylus drag. CB shipped our 265 with both and we did not like the silk thread at all.
The mylar tape is more fiddly to live with (motor levelling and positioning are critical) and the tape must be handled with care. One crease or crinkle and it's useless. It's easy to DIY replacements though.
Regards,
Doug