VPI Scout "tweaks"

HEAVYFEET FOLLOW UP. I forgot to mention that the motor pulley and the platter will not quite match up with the Mapleshade feet installed. I got a set of Mapleshade's Isoblocks and carefully separated them, leaving one layer of cork and one of rubber. I unscrewed the stock motor rubber feet and placed the motor on top of the Isoblocks, one on each corner. The front screw heads on top of the motor won't clear the platter anymore, so you need to back the motor out a bit. The belt found the proper platter groove after I ran it for a while. Belt tension seems OK and I have run this for about two years with no belt failure. I used a small machinist's ruler/square marked in 64ths to get the motor lined up properly. This is a fussy procedure and will take some patience. This is for the Scoutmaster motor. The stock Scout uses a different motor
so your height requirements may vary.

With the improvement you've made via the new feet, (by the way, I'm considering doing the same), if you install the $95 Mapleshade NanoMount tweak that uses miniature directional cones between cartridge/headshell, and tonearm/pinth flange, you will fully realize the advantage the new feet have given you. This product drains vibration away from the cartridge, into the arm, and then to the plinth. I proved this to myself when first I installed the NanoMounts, and was surprised at how little effect they had. Then I remembered I had sorbothane dampers under the VPI feet, and after I removed them, the difference was startling. Can't recommend it strongly enough.

Regards,
Dan

Another thing to try is to remove the rubber feet from the turntable motor and replace them with the smallest Audio Points [Star Sound]. I have just done this with my Aries and the difference was considerable. I took the rubber feet off the Scout motor and replaced it with some sorbothane discs which helped but did not make the same difference. Going to change it next.

Joe Grado in 1982 began shipping his 19.95 cartridge with a triangular metal mounting piece that enhanced coupling between his products and headshells/tonearms. The metal piece had three little nubs.Buy a Grado and gets some nubs for nothing. Tom

I previously removed the motor feet and replaced them with partial Isoblocks from Mapleshade. The difference was considerable with this product too. Thanks for your input.