Turntable or vinylology 101 for newbies.

This has been thoroughly discussed in Good Sound by Laura Deerborn, or The Complete Guide to Highend Audio by Robert Harley. I doubt that anyone is going to post something here that is more insightful or thorough...

You should be able to get both from the library if you don't want to buy them. They might have to be ordered, but they're worth the wait.

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I appreciate the sincerity of your intention, but what you've done is like asking people to post a brief history of the world. People here are very helpful but your request is just too broad. Ask a more narrow and specific question and you'll get some good responses. There is also a ton of material in the archives for most anything you would want to know, and which would lead you to specific follow up questions for discussion. The books suggested by Nrchy also have lots of good, basic information for the newbie.

Pedrillo, I hate to ask, but Have you really built a three-hundred pound TT with a platter mass loaded with 28 lbs of shot? If so, I doubt anyone here would be able to offer you any advice about an appropriate tonearm. You're using a one-of piece of equipment. You're the only one that has any experience with it.

It looks really cool though!

It's 430 lbs! ..... as though that makes a difference, well actually it did.
What I am hearing with the grado is incredible, I am just wondering was the blackbird a mismatch for my graham 2.2?
And for newbies is it wise to invest heavily first in the table and arm then with the cartridge?

There are those on these posts that say the table, the arm and then the cartridge. It always seemed to me that I got the biggest bang from a better cartridge. That seems logical to me since the hardest work is from the transducers...the cartridge and the speakers. By the way...when I changed my Grado to my Benz, I heard a huge improvement. The Grados have lots of good stuff, but they are certainly far from the last word in cartridges.