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There is probably nothing wrong with Abe's protractor....

Posted by John Elison (A) on October 12, 2009 at 19:43:01

In Reply to: Can someone tell me what is wrong with Abe's protractor posted by artemus on October 12, 2009 at 18:16:17:

It is a universal protractor and if used properly, it will provide just as accurate an alignment as any other protractor regardless of price. Furthermore, there is really no reason other than human error that two different protractors with identical null-points should ever disagree with each other.

One of the big problems with cartridge alignment is that just a very small error changes the null-point alignment significantly. Consequently, cartridge alignment is a tedious and time-consuming business. However, once it is accomplished correctly, the cartridge stays in alignment until it is changed.

Another reason that cartridge alignment is so difficult on most tonearms is because most tonearms are designed with variable effective length in order to set overhang. This usually is implemented with mounting slots for the cartridge to be moved forward and backward in the headshell and this allows the offset angle to change unintentionally when moving the cartridge. It's just a real laborious process to get it right. At least I sure had a heck of time with my new Technics SL-1200.

I've been spoiled for the past 30 years because I've always used SME tonearms, which are designed with a variable mounting distance and fixed effective length. In my opinion, they are very easy to align because the cartridge can be tightened down in the headshell at exactly the correct offset angle while the tonearm base is moved backward and forward very precisely with a rack-and-pinion mechanism. My SME tonearm can be aligned in a matter of minutes with any type of protractor. In fact, it is just as easy to align a SME properly with a universal protractor as with an arc protractor. However, for other tonearms with variable effective length, an arc protractor is faster and less prone to error.

Best regards,
John Elison

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