You also might think of buying a cheap cart to "practice with" before the AT. That is another way to get some experience and confidence since if you mess up you are not going to have a meltdown.
Hey!
That's a good advice.
I'm not an expert like Fremer but I get by setting up cart myself for years. It is doable for most people unless you have a very bad eyesight or very shaky hands.
One tip I can give you is leave the stylus cover/guard on when mounting it on the arm until you ready to adjust the weight and etc. And make sure you know and remember which way the cover/guard come off the cart, some you pull forward and some pull down.
Get yourself some set up kit that would last your forever, a test/set up LP, I have Hi-Fi News Test LP that is very helpful for me. And get yourself a $39 Audio-Technica AT-VM95C for practice, you won't cry if you break the cantilever and you can replace it for $25. By the way I have this cart on my second turntable and it is very enjoyable cheap cart. Once the music start I forget that I'm listening to a $39 MM cart! My other cart is the Hana EL on other turntable.
Anyway, have fun and don't drink lots of coffee before you mounting the cart.
Buddy
