Sumiko Premier MMT Arm VTA?


I have an AR ES–1 TT with a Sumiko Premier MMT arm with a Sure V–15V MR cartridge which is a good match with no VTA adjustment needed. This arm has no VTA adjustment but I have been told there is a conversion kit for my arm to upgrade to a VTA adjustable unit.Is this so and where can I get one? I might want to change cartridge types and would probably need to adjust the VTA. If not what are my options?(shims) Any suggestions or contact information would be helpful.Thanks
spindrifter
Your arm does have VTA adjustment. There is a set screw on the right hand side, facing the turntable, of the arm, loosen it and the arm can be moved freely up or down. Tighten it and it will stay in place. What you are referring to is that Sumiko sold a base that allowed the VTA to be continuously adjusted, by turning a screw the arm would move up and down. This is a lot easier than releasing a screw and having the arm free to drop. To make it easier I use a deck of cards. If I need more height I add a few and then release the screw and bring the pivot point up to that height. If you need to lower the arm a bit, just remove some cards and loosen the screw.
Viridian, thanks for your response but I really think that there is not a VTA adjustment on my arm. I believe the arm I have is an early model and the VTA adjustment was built into subsiquent "improved"arms. There are no verticle adjustment set screws anywhere on the shaft base that is attached to the armboard. Is that the area that I should be looking? So now what? I mean it is perfect for this cart. The arm is perfectly parallel when on the record.But at some point I might want to get a different cartridge. All advice and thoughts would be welcome.Thanks
If it has no VTA adjustment, and you don't want to get another arm, then you have only one option, and that is to make machined spacers that will fit between the arm board and the base, that will be the correct thickness to raise the VTA to the proper level for that cartridge. This really allows only one VTA because it is too difficult to keep changing these for small variations in record thickness.
If the new cartridge has too much VTA, then you can use spacers that are available to fit between the cartridge and the headshell.

I suppose also you could use a spacer disc under the record mat,or different thicknesses of record mats to do the same thing as the headshell spacers, if the TT allows this.