Cartridge mounting


Can any of you seasoned pro's give me some tips/pointers on cartridge mounting? Music Hall is sending me a new cart to replace the stock one on my MMF-7.1. Hopefully this will fix the channel inbalance problem I've been having. They are sending the low output version of the Eroica. I've mounted many a cart in the past, but they were on removable headshells, which makes the job a bit easier. Also, they had replacable styli, so you could remove it while mounting. With a fixed headshell/stylus do you do the wires first, or loosely mount the cart first? Don't want to &*$% anything up.....

Any tips would greatly be appreciated.
128x12804rdking
If the cart doesn't have a stylus guard you can fashion one out of some stiff paper. Cut a strip of paper, sort of stiff paper, about 1" long and 1/2" wide. Lightly tape one end to one side of the cart and then bending the paper over the stylus so as to not actually touch the cantilever/stylus tape the other side in place.

This will work like a football helmet face shield and protect the cantilever from catching on something and being pulled.
Thanks all. I used Hifiharv's method. Got it mounted. Them tiny wires really $uck when your eyes aren't what they used to be.......LOL Used the paper protractor that came with the tt and a magnifying glass for the alignment. Aahhhhh, the wonderful sound of vinyl is back in the system. The new cart sounds 100% better. Channels are balanced, bass extension is there..... I'm sure it could be tweaked in a little better, but at this time, I'm just going to sit back, listen and enjoy.
The most dangerous part is getting the wires attached. I get the wires on first and then mount it in the tonearm. Always push the cartridge on to the wire. If you push the wire on to the cartridge, your hand just might slip and you will tear the wire from the arm. just hold the wire steady with your right hand and push the cartridge with the left.
If the replacement cartridge has a stylus guard, leave it on until you are ready to test the tracking force.
"Hifiharv
First, carefully install just the inner screw leaving it a bit loose. Now the cart. is attatched and (reasonably) safe from damage. Then you can twist the back of the cart. towards you for easier access to attatch the wires. Then add the second screw."

This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.....

Keep it coming...

Thanks.
First, carefully install just the inner screw leaving it a bit loose. Now the cart. is attatched and (reasonably) safe from damage. Then you can twist the back of the cart. towards you for easier access to attatch the wires. Then add the second screw.
Dear 04rdking: In that kind of tonearms normally I take out the tonearm and mount and dis-mount the cartridge on a table but if you can't do it in that way then my advise is that to mount a cartridge first put on the wires first and second the cartridge screws, you can do it at the inverse and will be ok but when you mount the wires first then ( if something happen: cartridge fall/down ) in some way you " protect " the cartridge to damage because the wires that are alredy connected stop the fall.

I think that all people have some different manner to do it, maybe in what everyone agree is that we have to do it with care and patience.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.