Is Wally tool preffered for Graham 2.2?

In glancing at this latest thread with my name on it, I just looked at a rew responses and immmediately noted a serious mis-understanding of the use and design of my alignment tools. In particular, Albertporter (4-15) is wrong on at least two points: first, he states that "...Graham estimates that distance and is frequently off by several thousandth's of an inch".... This is wrong, as the cross-hair intersection is exactly to the right specificaiton, and engraved with a laser to prevent any possiblity is template misalignment.
After that, it is up to the user to be accurate in placing the cantilver along the alignment guide and next to the proper overhang distance. No different than any other setup tool in that the final accuracy will be up to the user.
Our instruction book also points out another fact that the writer missed: the flip-over target plate of the alignment gauge DOES place about 1.25 grams of load force on the stylus, thereby placing the cartridge in it's dynamic operating position. That feature is part of our patent on this device, by the way.
The next correspondent, Dougdeacon, is similarly misinformed about this and concludes that alignment can only be made reliable when VTF, VTA and azimuth are all set together. The stylus tip doesn't really know or care about azimuth as far as overhang is concrened. And, as previously noted, our gauge does load the stylus tip so that typical VTF/VTA forces are applied.
Then I would add that one of the features that make this design so attractive, I believe, is that all this can be done with the removable armwand of our 2.2 (and also with the higher-performance Phantom)safely and conveniently off the turntable.
None of this is to reflect (no pun intended, but it's there, if you are familiar with the Wally protractor) on the excellent Wally tools; they certainly are among the best I can think of. But I did want to stop any misconcptions about the design or use of our own product in this regard.
While these sites are a lot of fun, and often provide a useful dialogue, I would suggest that one might also keep a wary eye on some of the threads, as sometimes a misunderstanding, once initiated and continued, can become "fact" in the eyes of other readers. It's like telling the jury to disregard an inappropriate statement made by a witness; how can they really forget it?
By the way, we are updating our alignment gauge to have an adjustable height feature, the better to accommodate really tall cartridges as well as the more typical short ones.
Happy spring to all!... Bob Graham

Hello Bob, long time no talk to.

You said:

"...Graham estimates that distance and is frequently off by several thousandth's of an inch".... This is wrong, as the cross-hair intersection is exactly to the right specification, and engraved with a laser to prevent any possibility is template misalignment.

Unless I missed something, or the set up tools have changed, a unipivot design allows for several thousands of an inch variation in the measurement between spindle and tone arm pivot, regardless of how accurate the laser engraves the target.

Also:

Our instruction book also points out another fact that the writer missed: the flip-over target plate of the alignment gauge DOES place about 1.25 grams of load force on the stylus, thereby placing the cartridge in it's dynamic operating position.

Perhaps my own failing, but I was never able to hold the cartridge, depress the plastic gauge against the diamond to an extent to feel comfortable with the alignment. Add to that, the user has no way of knowing how much stylus force is being exerted with one's fingers, assuming you could hit the 1.25 gram’s and if that were the correct force needed (which for my cartridge is WAY off).

Like all set up systems, there are limitations. I have an easier time with the Graham system than the Wally and easier with the (discontinued) Cart Align than the Graham.

Discussions here at Audiogon are partly for our own amusement and to exchange ideas and technics.

You know I respect your arm as I have defended it in countless threads here at Audiogon. My own methods for set up are personal and like many choices in one's system are based on trial and error.

Hello Albert - yes, it's been quite a while, indeed. Nice to hear from you and allow me to answer your newest questions a bit: On your first point, which suggests that a typical unipivot can have play accumulating to perhaps several thousanths of an inch, I would first state I cannot speak for other unipivot designs; however, on ours, the pivot point is firmly, and I mean FIRMLY, anchored by gravity and the very fine, matched pivot and cup surfaces of our Swiss-made bearing set (made to our own specifications and not available elsewhere). Any such variation in setup would also be present during play, and that's completley unacceptable.

Of course, one can yank on the arm during alignment and move it, but on a proper turntable installation, with the armbase cutout at the right angle, there will be no internal interference and, thus, no fore-aft movement of the pivot during alignment. This bearing (and especially in the new Phantom which has an even improved bearing design over the 2.2) it will just stay as centered as a fixed-bearing arm. No, don't worry about that one.

On the second point, the downward force of the stylus gauge is automataic; you do not need to push down during use, nor should one try to. Admittedly, this downward force is "average" and some cartridges may benefit from a little more or less force; still, I believe this method results in more EASILY obtainable accuracy than typical protractors due to the fact that you're aligning the cantilever directly, rather than the cartridge body. Of course, Wally's gauge also works with the cantilever, and very well, too, but we like to think our "off turntable" system allows for a bit more safety and freedom from eyestrain than the on-turntable protractor approach
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And I agree the forum is a fun place, as I said. But as I also said, one must watch our for well-intentioned, but neverthless inaccurate theories to be started about things, lest others take it as gospel...

I also agree that audio is such a personal thing, and perhaps analogue is the most personal of all, what with the various combinatins of products, each proporting to have solved everyone else's design problems...! I believe strongly in what I have designed and explained on my website. In the end, it's all about enjoyment and music; and so in that we're all heading in the same direction ...!

Dear Sirspeedy: I never owned or work with the Wally tool and I don't have the 2.2.

I own the DB, Dennesen, ADC and Cart Alig protractors. Usually I work with the DB one for set the overhang and with the Cart Aling for cartridge orientaion ( lateral angle of the cartridge in relation to the tonearm tube ).

The DB and ADC tools are of the two null points design and are far better than the one point Dennesen and Cart Align ( I'm a little surprised that Albert use this one point tool over other two points ).

I'm very satisfied with those tools, I never had any problems about cartridge set up in any of my several differents tonearms/cartridges combinations. My Audiocraft AC 3300 is in some ways similar to the 2.2 and is extremly easy to do the set up with the DB pprotractor.

I know that the cartridge set up on overhang, Azymuth, etc etc, are critical but as a fact if the overhang or the distance between the center spindle and the pivot center of the onearm are out, say by 0.1mm it does not make a sound reproduction difference against and error of 0.2mm or 0.0mm, so don't be nuts about.

Dear friends, please don't try to complicate something that is relative easy. Don't try to do here the same like the SRA for each record/track.

When you are nuts about overhang and SRA and are " figthing " with it I really don't know when you will find the time for listen to the music !!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

That was a very interesting info to read and I agree with Bob. A few days ago my audiophile Friend and we met us to compare a Kuzma Airline with the Graham Phantom, both were fitted with same cartridges ( UNIverse ), connected with identical Phono Stages ( Klyne 7 ) and to make a long story short, these 2 Arms are the best I ever listened to and the alignment system from Graham works very well.