Just got my Scoutmaster, need setup suggestions...

There is another method that you may find more user friendly, but you'll need a test recording that has output from one channel and then the other. I use the Cardas burn-in test LP and the instructions from the 21st Century Vinyl DVD. One of the tables he demonstrates setting up is the Scoutmaster. If you don't feel like purchasing it, I believe that it can be rented from Blockbuster. It's NOT the only way, but I find it easier to get quantifiable results. I also use the Scoutmaster with the DV 20XH cartridge and have found it requires a LOT of patience and adjustments to get best results. When it's right, it is an amazing setup. HTH

I dont want to add to many different suggestions but thought these might help.
You can ground the spindle at the bottom of your table with some stranded wire, wrap it around the threads and then ground the other end this will eliminate static buildup.
If you are using the mechanical anti skate put the slip ring on first then the weight. After you set the needed weight for your cartridge move the slip ring against the weight and then set the azimuth. You wont lose your weight adjustment.
Azimuth is leveling the arm and cartridge to the platter. Its not hard to do i use a ruler that has a slide on it, put a record on and place the rod supplied by vpi on the groove. Get a good eye ball starting point and then use the ruler. Move the weight either right or left in small amounts until you get the same reading on both ends of the rod. When you get this set tighten the alan screw tight on the weight.
One more and most important thing get your table absolutely level.
Don't get to carried away with how difficult this all sounds. Its easy and you will be payed off with sounds that your digital source cant deliver like a well set up turntable.
good luck you can do it

Azimuth is the fancy term for how the arm sits on the record, looking at it from the very front - in the face of the cartridge. It should be absolutely horizontal to the record. Its exactly what I suggested to you above.

Read this and look at the illustration. It'll help you understand how to set it up.
Also, invest in a good protractor if you don't already own one. turntablebasics.com has a good one.
And I suggest a digital gauge.

Joey, Simple Layman's Terms of Azimuth.... That the Stylus-Needle is perfectly vertical to the record's surface, and grooves. Us nutty vinylphiles will use a host of goodies, and doo-dads, such as magnifiers, jeweler's loupes, thus inspecting that cartridge alignment is exact in all planes. Some Tonearms, suchas my Audioquest Arm have no provision for Azimuth, but aparently yours does. If there's any sort of adjustments on your Arm-Table, count on them being out of whack, and you cannot take anything for granted.

Another aspect of the JMW Arms, or any Arm for that matter, is Anti-Skate. If an anti-skate is so badly off, this could possibly cause an imbalance, but some gurus say anti skate is a non issue. I wonder why though, if the stylus is pressing so had to one side of the groove, and neglecting the other, how they say this is a non-issue? Time will have an impact I believe on the record, and also on the stylus itself I believe if antiskate is so far scewed.

If your problems aren't solved by any checks of the Tunrtable, and Arm, then I would go on to suspect a bad phono stage. If it was a Tube Stage, I might suspect a bad Tube. Otherwise, there's also the possibility of a bad cartridge. Of this is all bought new gear, I would try to resolve this issue, as the dealer should then make eveything right if there's a problem. Mark