back to listening, that’s exciting:
I would 1st get the VPI working, ascertain after a few months how much you are using it before spending any real money.
IF you stuck with it, Think Long: I would sell it, go for Quartz Locked Direct Drive, dust cover, one or two tonearms, anti-skate, removable headshell(s), add a real Mono cartridge, end up with a few cartridges, depends on how much you get hooked.
do you have alignment/calibration tools and skills? that’s a big part of both success and satisfaction. If not, who will change the cartridge now? and in the future?
cartridge: I would get a moderately priced new cartridge, MM, with user replaceable stylus, no re-calibration needed, one you could listen to with confidence, and easier to sell with the TT.
AT VM540ML microline on aluminum, excellent starter MM, $280.
AT 33PTG/II microline on boron, excellent MC $600, can be found for less on eBay
then either stick with it, and/or repair your two existing ones, I highly recommend Steve Leung and his son Ray at VAS. He will give you advice about your existing ones to help you decide
https://vasnyinc.com/repair-service/
You could have 3 nice cartridges, 1 new MM and two repaired, but you have an arm with fixed cartridge, so again, 1st ascertain how much you will play vinyl.
That arm, some early VPI, did NOT have anti-skate, then a separate anti-skate device was added, that is one reason I would plan on selling the VPI after a while, get into a TT with removable headshell, anti-skate capability, and ability to change cartridges.
Jazz, many greats recorded excellent sounding Mono LPs before stereo came out partially in 1958. A true Mono cartridge makes a little, some, a lot of difference, depends on the recording and condition of the LP.
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Used cartridges: yes, for me, but not for everyone. 1st, who broke yours?
My (and my friends agree) new favorite cartridge is a used one I just took a chance on, when Beryllium was the most advanced lightest/stiffest cantilever material, I bought two used AT160ml that came with headshells that allow azimuth adjustment
Here’s a loose one from the seller I bought from
My Shure V15Vxmr with Beryllium tracked at 1.0g (range .75 to 1.25g); It has a Jico SAS on boron now. These AT’s with Beryllium track at 1.25 grams, a user here tracks his at 1.0g, the bottom of their 1.0 to 1.5g range. (I always use the middle of a given range)
Considering both stylus and groove wear is reduced by increasing the amount of contact surface (the ML MicroLine profile provides the largest contact area), combined with successful light tracking, thus even more extended stylus life,
And, then, just thursday morning, I broke my recently acquired NOS V15V-P beryllium/hyper-elliptical cantilever while working on the pivot end of my long tonearm. Ridiculous, it’s a removable stylus, I just forgot, until, when done, OH SHIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTT, oh well, you must look at the big picture. It will go to my son to use in the Technics SL-J33 Turntable I gave him, either a NOS beryllium stylus will pop up one day or I’ll get a Jico SAS on boron for it.
