Took the vinyl plunge - need advice

I agree with the Grado recommendation. A Grado model may not match certain aspects of resolution, "hyper"-detail or frequency extension of some other cartridges in its competitive price range, but overall it may well give a better balance of: natural midrange, accurate timbre and accurate reproduction of harmonic overtones, good soundstage reproduction and overall musicality. If you listen primarily to acoustic music and need a higher output cartridge, the balance of virtues that a Grado offers can be hard to beat.

Check out www.mantra-audio.co.uk for the Goldring, you can get it for some like $160 or $170 with a trade in of any old cartridge.

Hey T bone, Make my funk the P-Funk, I wants to get funked up! I will second the Grado recommendation! I just purchased a used Platinum here on Audiogon. I really love the bass that the Grado cartridges have. Great for when the Mothership comes down. Swing Down sweet chariot stop, an' let me ride!

Thanks all for your responses. My "in the meantime" may be rather shorter than I thought as I may have just gotten hold of a Benz Micro PP-1 MC phono stage (next 2 days will tell).

However, another "problem" has cropped up. My local audio store (in Tokyo) has just told me that the (J-shaped arm with removable headshell) SAEC 407/23 arm was "low effective mass" requiring a high compliance cart, in contradiction with what seems to be the "accepted view" over on archived AA threads.

Does anyone have an effective mass number for this tonearm? The specs I can find are as follows:
Nominal Length 311mm (321mm max)
Effective length 233mm (pivot to stylus tip)
Overhang 12mm
Combined cart/headshell weight 23.5-33.5g
Tracking Force: 0-2.5g

Can anyone tell me what compliance cartridge would work best with the 407/23 arm if I went directly for an MC?

Thanks in advance,
Travis

A Shure V15Vxmr with the damping brush would do nicely I would think for around $350.00.