VTF gauge

Similarly to what Nandric reports, about 70% of shoppers in Japanese shopping centers in Tokyo are Chinese, based on my observations. Ironically, they are primarily buying clothing made in China. I’ve asked several Chinese people about this phenomenon. Mostly they agree, shrug, and don’t say much.

I have a beautiful beam-balance metric scale guaranteed accurate to 0.01 gram. The only problem is that I have to dismount my arm to adjust tracking force. The balance is a double tray affair in a wood and glass case that's about 18 inches wide, 12 inches high and 9 inches deep. All the balance weights are placed in the "weight" pan using forceps manipulated via lever from outside the case. Having to put the arm inside the case to measure stylus force is a bit of a pain.

Seriously, people, the Shure SFG-2 guage metal has been aluminum for ages, thus not susceptible to problems with MC cartridges. I'll also admit that the Riverstone Audio digital scale is more convenient to use.

..just be sure to have the platform of the scale at exactly the same height as the playing stylus.  Anything else is not accurate. (Then too the vtf will vary through any warp.) 

Just so you guys know, VTF is a range. Within this range VTF is set by ear. VTF is not set by grams. VTF is set by listening. Setting by tracking force somewhere within the range is Step One. Step Two is listening to find if more or less is better. Step Three is checking to make sure your listening didn't put you outside the range. So there is no point in being super precise, no advantage in having lab quality or whatever. You could use the $20 Shure and be just fine. 

Wake up, Rip Van Winkle. Shure SFG costs about $40 these days. And they may claim to be made of aluminum because perhaps parts of it are made of aluminum, but the seesaw is weakly attracted to most low output moving magnet cartridges in my experience. This suggests that the seesaw has some low level ferrous content.Further, a problem with the SFG is not so much its accuracy as it is setting the sliding weight on the seesaw to the proper value on the printed scale. If you can set yours exactly so as to arrive at the proper counter force, more power to you. On mine, that drives me crazy. Why put up with that, when for similar dollars you can have a nice digital scale that is highly accurate?

How about the Clearaudio Weight Watcher touch? I have been using this to check VTF for over 10 years. My first VTF gauge was the seesaw type and it was okay, but I really like the Clearaudio. It has made cartridge setup easier.