Turntable upgrade, tweaks, or stay put?

If you keep the VPI or decide to find one of your own, they really like a solid platform to sit on. I thought my Scoutmaster was solidly supported on its own VPI 4" tube-steel and steel bar stand loaded up with 100# of lead shot and kitty litter. The stand, spikes and fill and components on the two shelves came to > 250#. The whole thing set up on brass spikes sounded very good, but did not really take off until I put a maple block isolation platform under it. I got a great deal on a Titanic maple cutting board from dawnsplatforms and some Mapleshade blocks. The 27"x21"x4" monster adds another 65# to the setup, and the sound went from excellent to glorious. It also looks fantastic.

+1 Bill_k. I have been using the EP cleaner for about a year and a half. My records love it. It took quite a few uses before my nerves broke in and my comfort factor while using it increased to the point where it became pretty natural. I now am so absolutely fearless when cleaning my stylus, that I no longer use the safest method - to align it under the cartridge and lower the cueing arm. For the last several hundred plays I gently raise the open cleaner case to the stylus from below while the arm is locked down. Looking back to how I used to brush the needle several times per cleaning, as I did for decades before, I realize that I never lost my fear of destroying a cartridge with every cleaning.