Here's a suggestion on how to solidly connect the cartridge and arm using glue:
There are exotic tools, better bolts and maybe other tweaks to make a more safe and solid mount, but I didn't have these items, and I hated the stock bolts that came with my AT440.
I couldn't get a really solid mount, and torquing the bolts always compromised my careful setup. Though an easily movable cartridge allowed me to make constant, minute adjustments by ear, I knew that an essentially loose connection was a bad, bad thing.
So I came up with an easy solution: a small diluted dab of water-soluble glue applied with tiny brush into one of the headshell holes (RB300 arm). When dry, I had a perfectly solid connection. Any time I want to adjust, I just add a drop of water into the hole, wait a bit for the glue to soften, and voila.
It's a simple tweak, and I'm sure that if it's any good, many of you are already doing it. However, it came to me as an example of just how easy some really basic improvements can be.
The next logical step would be to glue the stylus to cartridge as Bernhard suggests, though I'm still holding off that till I make my microscope mount to allow stylus inspection while on the arm.
There are exotic tools, better bolts and maybe other tweaks to make a more safe and solid mount, but I didn't have these items, and I hated the stock bolts that came with my AT440.
I couldn't get a really solid mount, and torquing the bolts always compromised my careful setup. Though an easily movable cartridge allowed me to make constant, minute adjustments by ear, I knew that an essentially loose connection was a bad, bad thing.
So I came up with an easy solution: a small diluted dab of water-soluble glue applied with tiny brush into one of the headshell holes (RB300 arm). When dry, I had a perfectly solid connection. Any time I want to adjust, I just add a drop of water into the hole, wait a bit for the glue to soften, and voila.
It's a simple tweak, and I'm sure that if it's any good, many of you are already doing it. However, it came to me as an example of just how easy some really basic improvements can be.
The next logical step would be to glue the stylus to cartridge as Bernhard suggests, though I'm still holding off that till I make my microscope mount to allow stylus inspection while on the arm.
EEEEK!your point being?
Bernhard, you call it a nightmare but don't say why. You assume the reason is obvious; but if it were, would I have done it ? (well, maybe I would have tried). Anyway, what's the problem? I'm using such a small drop of glue that can be disolved with a drop of water, so I can remove the cartridge in a minute. I imagine your objection must be for a different reason. So please let me know.
Bernhard, you call it a nightmare but don't say why. You assume the reason is obvious; but if it were, would I have done it ? (well, maybe I would have tried). Anyway, what's the problem? I'm using such a small drop of glue that can be disolved with a drop of water, so I can remove the cartridge in a minute. I imagine your objection must be for a different reason. So please let me know.
Ron,
sorry, i misexpressed myself.
For me it is a nighmare as as exactly those minute adjustments take place over weeks sometimes.
Apart from that, there is no problem apart from messing up cartridge top and headshell bottom with glue. And the glue could add a damping of the cartridge/headhsell interface. Having nice effects sometimes. But me, i am not a big fan of damping, i do it very selectively and find myself preferring not enough damping to a tiny amount of too much.
And i have grown to mistrust a cartridge/tonearm combo which needs damping and won't sing without. Wrong combo, IMO.
I have to admit, the tiny drop of glue could do exactly the selective damping I prefer. And i am telling no secret here admitting that i have filled the hollow bottom of my SME V's headshell with blue tack and have also put a certain amount of a black "blue tack" variant on the tonearm tube in the gymbal area.
But AFA the cartridge mounting is concerned, me prefers stainless steel bolts tightened with a torque-limiting screwdriver.
sorry, i misexpressed myself.
For me it is a nighmare as as exactly those minute adjustments take place over weeks sometimes.
Apart from that, there is no problem apart from messing up cartridge top and headshell bottom with glue. And the glue could add a damping of the cartridge/headhsell interface. Having nice effects sometimes. But me, i am not a big fan of damping, i do it very selectively and find myself preferring not enough damping to a tiny amount of too much.
And i have grown to mistrust a cartridge/tonearm combo which needs damping and won't sing without. Wrong combo, IMO.
I have to admit, the tiny drop of glue could do exactly the selective damping I prefer. And i am telling no secret here admitting that i have filled the hollow bottom of my SME V's headshell with blue tack and have also put a certain amount of a black "blue tack" variant on the tonearm tube in the gymbal area.
But AFA the cartridge mounting is concerned, me prefers stainless steel bolts tightened with a torque-limiting screwdriver.
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