Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

The tip of the long cue bar is  only point of potentially destructive contact with a carelessly handled LP.  I added a small rubber nipple to the tip to address that. 

Chris, I’m picturing you on your knees in front of your 18" high turntable shelf, cleaning your stylus and records. Adds to the "ritual" aspect of LP playing that analog detractors are fond of citing ;-) .

Eric. Cleaning the record is not an issue. Cleaning the stylus however requires a one knee drop. I don't like to talk about my knees. I have runners knees. At middle age my Doc says my hearing is great, like a young mans, but my knees are old age. 8^(

You mentioned that you like the armwand pointing at you. With La Platine, it is a design that can be positioned - turned, so the armwand is pointing anywhere on the clock really. Like wise the motor can go left, back or to the right. Kinda cool.
I am very familiar with the short arm wand as I still own a Dy navector hybrid tonearm. I know that Bruce did a lot testing before he settled on the length of the ET2 armwand.  

Just to give you all a laugh and bring this thread back to the actual area I first envisioned.
I bought an old Sansui P-L45 table in working order but no stylus.
Fitted a replacement AT stylus that was correct to the AT p mount cart in it and spun an album.

I am honestly shocked just how nice it sounds!
For a grand sum of $55 all in.

Talk about the high life!

The description of sliding the record into place is perhaps inaccurate, only because it sounds tricky. It’s not tricky.

The record must held on a slight angle and inserted into the space between the manifold beam / cue bar at the top, and the TT platter / spindle below, then placed on the spindle.

It sounds much harder than it is. As soon as you have the arm fitted to the TT, it is obvious how to move the record. Try it with an old one first, or use a modicum of care, and everything will be fine.

If the spindle is short, that helps a lot, which is why I built my TT that way.