Advice needed on upgrading tonearm for VPI SCOUTMASTER

If it's just the same arm "updated " I would just try a new cart.

Wouldn't a VPI upgrade would be the 10"3d. I don't know if that's  an option-armboard?

I preferred the standard wire sound to the reference wire which is Nordost. Don't assume that the reference wire is better just because it costs more. It is a different flavor.

Do you have the metal arm or 3D printed? The 3D is a pretty big upgrade. 

Thanks folks. 

It's a metal wand. And I can't update to a longer one. Wouldn't work with current arm board.

Judging by the response, I guess it's not a great idea.

Nice system you have.

You can upgrade to a 9" JMW SIgnature reference arm with nordost and pair it with a new cartridge.  

You can also upgrade to the 10" 3D arm.  VPI will provide a mountboard adapter.

I have the same VPI Scoutmaster purchased new in the 90's and I am still rocking it. Upgraded over the years from JMW 9 to 9" SIg Reference and now the 10" 3D tonearm.

This Scoutmaster is one hell of a table.  Built like a tank!  I have no interest in replacing this table.  I have it fully upgraded to the max with outboard flywheel belt and rim drives  .. per HW himself in multiple conversations while i was upgrading my table over the years.. performance same level as SuperScoutmaster.

So go for it.   Scoutmaster is one heck of a table!

VPI has made so many similar sounding turntables and tonearms it is difficult to give you advice as to what would be an upgrade over what you have.  I had the VPI Aries Scout with a 9" JMW arm and currently own the VPI Super Scoutmaster with the 10.5" JMW arm.  Everything about the Scoutmaster is better so I have no idea how much of a difference the arm is making.  A friend of mine has the 3D printed VPI arm as well as the Fatboy and he claims they are better.  My guess is that is true but they are also quite a bit more expensive than $1300.  Personally, I wouldn't buy what they are trying to sell you.  I would invest in a different cartridge or maybe a phono stage but I am unfamiliar with your Sonic Frontier.  I think it is much more likely that that will give you the improvement you seek.  If you did want to try a different arm I would get a 9" Audiomods Series 6 arm for about $1500.  That was a nice improvement over the stock arms on both my Rega P6 and Technics SL-1210GR.

@ije , I am buoyed by your support of the Scoutmaster being a great table.  I'm glad you are still happy. I have noted all of your suggestions and will follow up with more research.

@pinwa I get it about the preamp and going the route of a different cart.  I am also going to research the Audiomods Series 6 arm that you mentioned.

THANK YOU BOTH!!!

Function, flexibility.

Steve at VAS used to work with VPI, and is a big fan of Uni-Pivot arms. He has more respect for the father than current production, true?

In any case, he has multiple arm wands adjacent to his table, with multiple cartridges, including MONO of course, and if you are close enough to pick up a cartridge from him, he demo’s it on his VPI.

Metal/3D/newer anti-resonance ... If you do not hear anything wrong, why chase ’improved’?, I would not buy a new tonearm, but would add an arm wand or two, and a few cartridges, one Mono of course! Steve built my mono cartridge for me,

I use removable headshells on one arm, fixed stereo on one arm, fixed mono on one arm.

You will certainly hear the differences of cartridges, I cannot hear tonearm wire differences. I doubt you will hear any 'anti-resonance improvements UNLESS you have an existing problem, I'm certain I couldn't.

@elliottbnewcombjr Thanks for your advise. Spoken from experience.  Makes sense, if nothing is wrong, which there isn't, why the pursuit?  

because, the bug is pursuing you!

just let it out the window till next time

Vas Nova cartridge works well with the unipivot arm and I agree with the statement above on Steve.   I have the Vas Nova MC cart on my 3D 10.5  arm on the Scoutmaster and have been quite pleased with it.  It replaced a Shelter 901 MC cart that I had with the 9 inch Sig Ref arm.

Steve is definitely a great guy to talk to.   A new cartridge might just be the ticket if you decide to stick with the 9" arm.

@ije  I never heard of VAS, or the Nova cartridge. Just checked out that site and will research that option. Looks very interesting. Thanks for the suggestion. 

did you know the single pivot arm is being (may be already) phased out.  I don't 

think you'll hear a difference (maybe any at all) with an "upgraded" tonearm.

I spoke with Mat at AXPONA. The unipivot arms are not being phased out, however they are transitioning their tables to their gimbal arms.

@stringreen @tonyptony  string: I did notice lots of unipivot arms in stock at VPI. Tony, you confirmed they are still available, but going forward with a focus on gimbal arms.  That's good. Every time I set my unipivot down on my wax, I always breathe a sigh of relief when it stops dancing and starts tracking. Always seems like an accident waiting to happen. So far, so good.

When the arm is balanced properly and playing a record, there is no "dance" on my turntable.  To stabilize it further, add the 2nd pivot....very inexpensive and an easy install.  It's been so long since I didn't have the 2nd pivot I don't really remember the change....but it was worth it....and visually it stabilizes the arm.

Most arm/cartridge combinations have two resonance frequencies, vertical and horizontal. Unipivot arms have three adding torsional. This is a seriously bad deal if you are a cartridge. The makers of the two best quasi unipivot arms, Graham and Basi, go to elaborate means to stop any torsional movement. 

If you want to seriously upgrade your arm substitute VPI's Gimbal arm or install another manufacturers arm. You can mount any 9 - 10" arm on a Scout if you are clever. If it were my table I would mount a Kuzma 4 Point 9 on it. It is better than any VPI arm and a real value price wise. Other possibilities would be the Reed 2G, the Schroder CB and the TriPlanar.