After receiving several requests from members, I have decided to show and tell all. The first thing that is needed is this very special tool. it is a 12" dia. acrylic disc, .125" thick with a .315 dia. hole in the exact center. I had a local glass company water-jet it for me. It cost about $50.
The you need some 2lb. monofilament fishing line, a bullet shaped fishing weight (with hole through it), a very small nylon washer, Plast-i-clay, the 1st string (E) for a guitar (steel string), electrical tape and a bass fishing lure.
cut the eyelet off the lure so you have about 1 3/4" of length. Put about a 30 degree bend on the eyelet so that section is about 3/8" long. Tape the lure eyelet assembly to the post of the Empire (with the post laid back. make sure the 3/8" section with the eyelet is parralle to the plinth surface and that is parrallel with the tone arm. Take some fishing line and tie the very small washer on to the end of it. Feed the line through the eyelet, wrap the line around the tone arm pivot assembly and tie it to the anti-skate adjustment screw. Back this screw all the way out so there is in effect no anti-skating. The amount of line will have to be adjusted so that the weight doesn't hit the eyelet of the fishing lure, or the plinth of the table (may be some swear words here, getting this part done
). After that is done, check the swing of the arm and make sure there is no interference with the weight through the course of the record playing sweep. Next, take the guitar string (brass eyelet end) and cut the string about 2 3/4" long. Feed the wire end up thru the hole in the weight from the bottom side (yes, it will be right in the hole with the fishing line) and the eyelet in the lure. secure the end of the guitar string with a dot of plast-i-clay. The reason for this is to keep the weight from swaying back and forth. Recheck the tone arm swing, making sure the weight goes up and down freely through the sweep of the record. Next, make to very tiny dots of plast-i-clay (about a 1/16" in diameter) and press the two dots on the back 2 corners of the pivot assembly so that the fishing line is embedded into the plast-i-clay, but not touching the metal. This deadens vibrations of the fishing line reaching the tone arm assembly.
With the cartridge installed, VTF set, VTA set, place the disc on the table. Turn the table on and place the tone arm on the disc. If it goes inward, there is too much weight, if it goes outward, there is not enough weight. This is trial and error here. The tone arm should stay in place anywhere you place the arm.
I have also put a dot of plat-i-clay on either side of the cartridge and a very small amount on the plastic stylus protector to keep that from vibrating.
Good Luck aa
Wayner
