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Am getting a new cart, AT 33EV should be delivered Monday. Should I get the Wally Tractor to help in aligning it on my Rega P9?
I have always only used the protractor supplied by Rega.
What does the Wally do in the more and in the better categories?
I assume that the Wally is suitable for all Rega arms including the 1000. Please tell me if I am wrong on that.
Thanks.
Follow Ups:
I have multiple protractors from Wally, MintLP, Accutrak, and Uni-Pro. Among the arc protractors, Wallytractors are my favorite. The inscribed mirror on the Wally allows a more precise location of the stylus tip in the arc than the others, IME. The Accutrak is good, too, because the printed lines are close to the surface. But they are wide, so you have to locate in their center for absolute precision. With the Wally, you drop into V-shaped groove, so it's quite precise, and the mirrored surface enables compensation for parallax. YMMV.
I used to own a Wally, but sold it along with the TT/arm it was designed for. When I got my HRX, I didn't even think about trying to get a new wallytractor because of all the negative info, so I looked into alternatives. The best one I found is the Best Tractor made by Mint lp. It's a mirror protractor with a difference: a built-in way to correct for parallax errors and thereby ensure that you're aligning the cantilever exactly right. It takes some getting used-to, but the results are sonically worth it. Not financially linked, blah blah, etc, just a satisified customer.
The one supplied with the Rega is sufficient.
These are well worth the price of admission.
They make alignment jigs for most tonearms.
Quick service, right price, nice guy.
If you want something specially tailored for you, get a Best Tractor from Mint, if I'm not mistaken it's exactly the same concept as Wally's. I have one and it was an easy, hassle-free deal. You get a lot for your money (actually the degree of precision makes alignment a bit maddening).
JB
Hi Neil,
How much to completely detail a Pontiac Vibe? It's pretty dirty.
Oh, and...
I'm sure people have told you this before, but you have an unhealthy obsession with airplanes...just saying.
Depends on just how dirty it is. As we're a high end and "green" wash, we generally want to keep the riffraff away, and dirty cars are not good for our wash water, which we try to recycle several thousand times before draining and refilling our tank.
Aside from all that, I'm just the wipe technician, so it wouldn't be up to me, but I did ask the boss, and he said he might make an exception for a friend of mine if you could bring it around after hours, when there'd be no regular customers to see what's going on.
Being a Pontiac and all, we'd have to be real gentle with it, in case it becomes a classic sometime down the road, and it would necessarily require a little extra TLC, including cold water wash and wipe with a clean rag. As for the actual detailing, the price would have to be determined after we can actually see the paint, but you should figure on about $135.00 an hour, plus cost of Q-tips.
As for the airplanes, I'm just trying to let people know that flying these days ain't what it's cracked up to be. Choose your airline carefully.
In case it becomes a classic? I resent that. It's already a classic. Anyway, the deal is fair, so you'll be seeing me.
Speaking of choices, "cracked up" was a poor choice of words, don't you think?
Got a '57 Bonneville Convertible? Yessssss!
I would not waste your time- you will never hear back. I e-mailed Wally on March 8 of this year, and he called me to chat. We discussed the products, and he had me take some measurements off of my arm and send them to him re making the tractor. He also sent me some recent photos of styli for reference. I sent the dimensions to him, and asked for confirmed pricing quotes (was also interested in a skate). After a week, I tried to touch base, and nothing. It is now April 13 and not a peep.
Decide for yourself, but I am not going to send any money to anyone that can't get me even a quote after a month.
I -at the inference of MFremer in the Article on SRA Setting where he states "send you details to
Wally for diagnosis/etc-- I sent Wally my measurements and information from my setup and
waited/waited waited--nix /nada
Avoid Wally-and do NOT send him money
That was 5months ago-MF need to remove the bloke from the Article-- bad Kharma for him
APlanet and poss' even Stereophile
Des
I have a Wally Tractor for the Rega arms, and it doesn't work.Some years ago (2006) I took my chances and ordered one, despite what I had read here on the Asylum about some cases of non-delivery.
After waiting about a year, I wrote again, asking when I might see mine. Wally Malewicz wrote back something like, "Oh sure, what arm was it for again?", and I had it within two weeks or so. I thought I got very lucky.
But as I said in my first sentence, it doesn't work for me. I don't know if it was made incorrectly, or because it was made with a pivot to spindle distance of 221.7 mm, and my Rega RB-900 is mounted at 222 mm, using a Roksan armboard for Rega arms. I should have enough play using the headshell slots to facilitate a proper intersection to correct for 0.3mm. But I've tried it with several cartridges, and its never come close, no matter how the cartridge is adjusted.
Edits: 04/13/14
Wally makes his arc protractors to Löfgren "A" and Löfgren "B" specifications. Rega uses a completely different alignment geometry. On the other hand, if you can get the stylus to follow the arc on your WallyTractor, you should be able to get a perfect alignment. The cartridge will be angled inward a couple of degrees, though. The only problem you might face with a Rega tonearm is not being able to move your cartridge far enough forward to allow the stylus to follow the arc. Is that your problem? Was your cartridge all the way forward in the headshell slots but still not far enough forward to follow the arc?
Best regards,
John Elison
Hi John, yes, that was the issue. There wasn't enough slot to allow the cartridge to come forward far enough for the stylus to reach either arc.
My Wally Tractor has two arcs, one marked Baerwald, the other Löfgren (It doesn't specify A or B).
Now here's something interesting. It had been quite a few years since I'd even looked at my Wally Tractor. After reading your post, I thought the issue was that the cartridge wouldn't come forward far enough, but thought I'd refresh my memory.
I just put the Tractor on my table, and checked again. It looks like there MAY be enough slot there for the Baerwald. When I tried it back in 2008 with my Denon 103R, and some other cartridge, it didn't work. With the currently mounted Dynavector DV-20XL...Maybe?
That doesn't make sense to me. Nothing's changed. Same table, same arm. I'm not ready to say "mea culpa" just yet. I'd have to try realigning the cartridge, and that's not something I look forward to, despite my having read Zen And The Art Of Cartridge Mounting many, many times.
So? You're using a different cartridge. Not all carts have the same bolt-hole-to-stylus distance.
Regards,
Andy
So, when I bought a $150 miracle protractor (and joined Ferd's mullet club) I wasn't informed that it would be useless with many cartridges.
Since Wally didn't supply a list of cartridges which would work with my Rega specific WallyTractor, maybe you could?
but I suspect you won't countenance any of the options. :-)) :
1. buy a different arm.2. buy a cart which has a longer bolt-hole-to-stylus distance than your current cart.
3. move your arm towards the spindle 1/8" (if the cart is jammed up against the outer end of the headshell slots). This will mean you have to make a slight elongation in the hole in the plinth/armboard which the arm pillar goes through.
4. use an alignment which is suggested by the late, great Allen Wright (Vacuum State) - the 'Guru' method - which you can get on the VSE web-site. This places the stylus back towards the pillar by about 0.8mm, from the main arc.
I have a Wallytractor for my Graham 2.2, BTW. Works perfectly because my G2.2 is mounted at a distance that puts the cart bolts in approx. the middle of the headshell slots (for my Grado and for my Benz, anyway).
It's a great device.
Regards,Andy
Edits: 04/14/14
You forgot the easiest solution. Simply align the cartridge in accordance with Rega alignment geometry. Remember KISS.
Best regards,
John Elison
The arc marked Baerwald is what we now call Löfgren "A" because Erik Löfgren developed this alignment three years before Baerwald. Erik Löfgren published a paper in 1938, but it basically got lost during the Nazi takeover of Germany. Baerwald published his paper in 1941, but his alignment was identical to Erik Löfgren's "A" alignment. The alignment called "Löfgren" on the WallyTractor is a slightly different alignment, also developed by Erik Löfgren, which we now call Löfgren "B."The DL-103 series cartridges have a very short stylus to mounting hole distance of only 7.5-mm. This is the reason you cannot get them far enough forward in the headshell for the WallyTractor. I don't know what that distance is on the Dynavector 20XL, but it might be no longer than 8-mm. Audio Technica cartridges have a longer stylus-to-mounting-hole distance of 9.5-mm, so they should work with your WallyTractor on the Rega tonearm.
As long as you can get the stylus to follow the arc, you will get a good alignment with your WallyTractor. In fact, I consider Löfgren "A" to be the best alignment possible.
Good luck,
John Elison
Edits: 04/13/14
Now that I read your post, I do seem to remember reading that bit of history regarding Baerwald / Löfgren here on the Asylum once before, possibly one of your previous posts. But I'd forgotten all about it.
Based on your information, I'll post a tentative "Mia culpa" regarding my accusation of my Wally Tractor being made incorrectly. But I will also say that if it only works with certain cartridges in the ubiquitous Rega arms, that is the first time I've ever been made aware of it! My question would be, how would someone know ahead of time, even if the Wally Tractors were readily available? I just checked the Dynavector site, and no specification for "stylus-to-mounting-hole distance" is given for the DV-20. A quick check of specs of various brands of cartridges on Needle Doctor didn't list it either.
Perhaps if I ever get a wild hair, I'll try and realign my Dynavector using the Löfgren "A", to see if it'll reach. But I look forward to cartridge alignment about as much as I do extensive dental work.
There ought to be a list of mounting hole to stylus tip distances for various brands and models of cartridge available to us vinylistas. The issue you are dealing with is common. (I ran into it when trying to use Baerwald to mount a vintage MM in my Dynavector DV505 tonearm for example.) Vinyl Engine would be a perfect place to post such a list. But maybe we could start one here by having guys report their measurements, so as to develop a data base which could then be shifted to VE. The only issue would be that it is rather difficult to make an accurate measurement within 0.5mm.
Any takers? It seems that John already has some of the pertinent information.
> There ought to be a list of mounting hole to stylus tip distances for various brands and models of cartridge available to us vinylistas.
If you want to start a thread, I'll be happy to contribute.
Best regards,
John Elison
Ken Willis makes an excellent protractor. He will custom make one for any unique situation.
This discussion already stimulated me to order a protractor from Ken Willis, about an hour ago, for my never so far auditioned Grace G714. I imagine he will be swamped this week.Forgot to mention I will measure some cartridges this weekend and post results here. But I fear it will be difficult to make an accurate measurement, say within 0.5mm.
Edits: 04/14/14
> I look forward to cartridge alignment about as much as I do extensive dental work.
I know what you mean. Nobody looks forward to cartridge alignment. The best part about it is getting it right because once set, it lasts until you change the cartridge. I believe the fastest and easiest way to make sure you get it right is with an arc protractor. Although, I prefer a non-mirrored arc protractor.
With regard to Rega tonearms, they can be aligned to Löfgren "A" with any cartridge if you mount the tonearm at a distance of 219.5-mm from the spindle rather than 221.7-mm (or 222-mm). Of course, you would need an arc protractor designed for a mounting distance 219.5-mm, too. Wally used to make them.
Best regards,
John Elison
But buying a new armboard blank from Roksan is a rather expensive proposition. It's machined Delrin, the inverted top-hat shown at the bottom of the arm in the picture.
Hardly seems worth it for 0.3 mm. Buying Ken's protractor makes a lot more sense.
I've thought about a better arm a few times, and when the thought hits, I go listen to music until the urge goes away.
Thanks again for the information.
No, it's not worth it for 0.3-mm. What I said is if you move the tonearm mounting base toward the spindle by 2.2-mm, you can align any cartridge to a Löfgren "A" alignment with your Rega tonearm. That will provide enough overhang for all cartridges. If you do that, you need a new arc protractor designed for a mounting distance of 219.5-mm and Ken Willis can make one for you.
Good luck,
John Elison
I knew you meant relocating the arm to the 219.5 position, but I didn't make that clear.
There's a plastics place in my area, and one of our maintenance techs at work recommends them highly. I need to get over there at some point to ask them about making an armboard for my Technics SL-110. I'm hoping they will able to recreate the Roksan armboard too, but that's more complex than the Technics.
Finally, thanks for the link to Ken's site.
W ally
W ellborne
Coincidence?
I've seen way more posts here over the years by people complaining Wally took their money and delivered nothing than posts extolling Wally's virtues. Remember the words of P. T. Barnum.
Not new, but I spotted a used Tractor so...
I see. Funny thing is that for all the complaints about Wally I've read over the years, I don't remember anybody saying his products were bad. If it can be got free and clear from another source I'd say go for it.
The free one I use is dead on the best I have ever used. with a laser setting up a cartridge is almost child's play ... with little bits of green tape so I guess it is child's play.
You setting up a table for a local museum ... do u listen to music ... last LP? lol
Never trust an Atom, they Make Up everything!
send your money to me, and like wally, you will get NOTHING. keep your money and get the free one from enjoy the music, an Ezine.
...regards...tr
You will at least acknowledge the donation, no?
Muses. Its called theft.
...regards...tr
.... you would be wise to search here and in the Shady asylum.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
You must be a dedicated masochistic martyr, no ? ;-)
As far as alignment goes you can dick around with the vaunted Dennison
the Omni disc and everything else and you won't achieve an actual better result than with the el cheapo $20 LP Basics mirror tool, for more $$
the Pro-ject Alignment tool (an improved Dennison clone) is superb
Actually, my $20 Turntable Basics mirrored alignment tool has very poorly printed lines and grids. The lines are too wide and extremely non-uniform. I don't think it's a very good alignment tool at all. I use it as a mirror to look behind my components when plugging and unplugging interconnects.
In my opinion, the best alignment protractors are arc protractors. The WallyTractor is such a protractor, but there are many others. Personally, I don't like mirrored protractors because the multitude of reflections seem to confuse me. Therefore, I always print my own arc protractors using a very neat program developed by Conrad Hoffman. It is free to download from Conrad's website at the link below.
Another excellent protractor if you don't want to make your own is Ken Willis' AccuTrak . Ken puts a minimum of four different alignment arcs onto a single protractor at a very reasonable price. I highly recommend Ken Willis' AccuTrak.
Best regards,
John Elison
damn people just BUY IT!!!!
support great AA members!!
Well worth the money!
Yes I will second the Ken Willis Arc Protractor, very good I have had 2 for different tonearms. You will hear a difference aligned this way.
.., Wally not!
Edits: 04/13/14
I had a P5 that I liked to fuss/tweak with before moving on.
For no cost you could down load one of the alignment grids on vinylengine.
I have a Feikert jig which is nice but overkill since you can check the same things.
Since you can only adjust the overhang and make sure the stylus(not the cart body)aligns with the grid line, do it for FREE!
"For no cost you could down load one of the alignment grids on vinylengine
That's exactly what I've done and it works great.
I know absolutely nothing about the "Wally Tractor" other than a helluva lot of guys have complained about bad dealings with the guy.
do you know a safe source?
thanks
Do you mean safe from Wally?
Use the handy dandy Vinyl Asylum search function and type wally in the box.
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