Best tool for cartridge alignment?

The "best" cartridge alignment tool is probably the Wally-Tractor, which is custom-made for each particular tonearm/turntable combo. I think it costs about $150 from Wally, and takes a couple of weeks for an order to arrive.

However, the Dennesen Soundtractor (which was made in both metal and plastic versions) is very good (I have the original metal version, which I use to set up my Rega 900 tonearm and Grado Reference cartridge). I think the plastic version has recently gone back into production, but if you can find a used metal version, it's certainly worth having.

The other possibility is the Geo-Disk mat, which works pretty well and is easy to use.

I set up my Gyro/OL Silver/Beta S with a borrowed GeoDisk. They are back in production for around $50 if I recall.

Works well enough. It's easy to use but not infallible--you have to make sure a certain line on the GeoDisk lines up with the tonearm pivot point just right or every other adjustment you make will be off.

I hear great things about the Wallys but have always been deterred by the cost and lack of availability.

I second the Dennesen Soundtractor - its not only effective, it's very easy to use so long as your arm has a depressed point over the center of the shaft. I especially prefer this over systems that use two reference points.

thanks for all your suggestions and help. all three looks good to me...not sure why the wallytractor is so pricy.