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Looking For Protractor For Well Tempered Reference Tone Arm

Looking for the overhang and alignment protractor for the Well Tempered arm that comes on the Reference table, I think it may have been used for other tables in their line. 

When I measure spindle to pivot I come up with 230 mm, and I have come across one other person who says that Wally Malewicz came up with 233 mm for this arm. But I cannot find any info from a Well Tempered page or site that can confirm this info. The head shell in this arm is not slotted so you accept the factory offset, much like you do on a SME IV/V. 

If I had the distance needed I suppose I could have Accutrak make me one. Or I could experiment and print out a Conrad H arc protractor, although I would have to accept his null points. 

Not sure if there are other good options. I believe Vinyl Engine has a down load, but as I understand it its for the arm with 220 m length. 

Any Well Tempered Reference or Classic owners who have worked through this situation? Any info you can pass on would be greatly appreciated. 
neonknight

Showing 1 response by millercarbon

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
If you measure 230, and Wally says 233, that's pretty close, what's the problem? Even assuming perfection, its a pivoted arm. Its only tracking right at two points anyway. All the rest of the time its off, and most of the time by more than the difference 3mm makes. Check the geometry, I bet its two, three times as much. Maybe more. So why sweat it?

Push comes to shove, you slot the hole by 3mm. This will make next to no performance loss yet it will allow you to try both and listen which is really all that matters anyway, how it sounds.

Analog is funny. On the one hand it rewards meticulous setup. But on the other hand you never really know what's best until you try and compare. While on the third hand the one thing you can be sure of is you will never hear anything until you try something. So why not just go for it?
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