VPI JMW Jig Question

VPI got back to me and they said 258mm for the Classic series arm.

VPI has kinda muddied the water with their Classic arms iterations. There are now 3 versions of the Classic tonearm. Based on what I can tell, the Classic 1 tonearm is the arm that comes with the Classic 1 table (duh). It does not have the VTA adjustable tower. The Classic 2 & Classic 3 arms appear to be identical to the older JMW-10.5i tonearm except the Classic 2 arm had standard wiring while the Classic 3 arm has Nordost Valhalla wiring.

I've read multiple spindle to pivot distances for VPI's different 10.5" arms (254, 258, 259, and now 262mm). I measured my JMW-10.5i on my Aries 3 and it was 256mm. We'll see how close I was because that's what Yip suggested it would be and that's what my measurements confirmed. Hope I got it right because my Mint LP just shipped.

I measured my Classic 3 with Classic 33 arm when I ordered my MINTLP. it came out to 258mm, effective length adopted is 273mm. If you measure yours ensure you measure it from the center of the spindle and ensure the ruler is level, otherwise the length will increase by 0.2mm because of the height difference between the spindle and pivot. There are a number of different answers out there if you do a search. Best way is to measure yours.

According to vinyl engine and other web sources the p2s is 262mm for the Classic arm. Can someone measure theirs to confirm.

My understanding is the Classic 3 arm is the same as the old JMW-10.5i arm which has a 256mm spindle to pivot distance. However, I suggest you confirm this with VPI first.

Is the VPI jig used only for cartridge alignment? Does anyone know the Spindle to Pivot distance for the Classic 3 arm? I emailed VPI yesterday but have not rec'd a response.

Mint directions tell you what to do for setup. Follow them exactly and be sure you have a 3x and a 8-10x loupe for setup. You need both. The magnifying glass they send sucks. You can find directions online too I believe, downloadable PDF, but they are sent with the Mint. It's good to read them ahead of time, many times, as there is much to absorb and you need to have a steady hand, good light, and follow procedures exactly. You start with the arm level. You can adjust arm height later following the correct order of setup. Take a look at Mike Fremer's 21st Century Vinyl DVD for setup of a VPI Scout. If you don't have it, you should. The Scout setup is pretty much just like the Classic table. Follow that, along with Yip's directions, and you'll be good to go and the table will sing sweetly.

PS What table are you mounting the arm to? Is it a non VPI table (ie, not the Classic table?) If so, you do need the correct spindle to pivot distance as Kgturner mentions above. Check directly with VPI customer service.

Sorry for the thread hijack:

I've got a Mint LP coming in the mail (Yip shipped it this morning). Should I do anything to compensate for the thickness of the Mint LP? I see several users stating that the Mint LP is thicker than most records and some suggested raising the tonearm to compensate for this difference and then lowering it again once complete. Is this getting too nit-picky?

Oh, I see. I don't think the jig can be used for that function per se. If it can, it'll be tedious. The jig is more usual for setting up a cartridge on a VPI table with pre-drilled/pre-attached tonearm. I know on my JMW-10.5i tonearm (the one with VTA tower), the spindle to pivot distance is 256mm. I'm not certain what it is on the JMW-10.5SE that came with the Classic 1 table though. Good luck.

Kevin T

Yes, second to the Mint LP protractor. Much more precise and accurate on my VPI SSM, makes audible improvement.

Actually, although the VPI jig works, the MINT protractor is more accurate and therefore better.

I want to use the jig to mount the arm on a new table, therefore, I need the jig to set the proper spindle to pivot distance.

Here what I usually do:

Take your arm off the unipivot point. Place the jig over the spindle on your platter. Loosen the screws on the jig so that the V-shaped end can be pushed up against the side of the unipivot cup and tighten the screws back down. Place the arm back on the unipivot point and adjust your cartridge so that the stylus is on the small point of the jig and the front face of the cartridge is parallel to the lines on the jig. This is from memory and I don't have my jig in front of me so I hope I didn't confuse you more.