VPI 3D tonearm

String...... Mike, Jack and Harry are super accommodating. I would ask one of them to do you a favor and overnight mail/deliver the correct counterweight.

Why not just supply each new arm with all of the counterweights? That way, the owner would be covered for future cartridge changes.

Peterayer....The bottom line is money. SME has a rear counterweight that actually does just what you say. You add or remove supplied lead (i think) shims to ad or remove the weight to provide the perfect rear counterweight to be as close as possible to the front fulcrum. The VPI weights are finished products of which you request the needed counterweight depending on the weight of your cartridge. I have a very heavy Benz LPS and a 200 gram weight is needed to balanced it properly. The weight that is normally supplied with the arm is 120 grams which would work with many lighter weight cartridges. One should be sure to get the proper weight for his/her particular cartridge, and not be satisfied with a rear counterweight that is too rearward to accommodate the cartridge.

Thanks Stringreen. That makes sense. I completely agree that the counterweight should ideally be as close to the pivot as possible.

..Just to pass the time with my 3D arm, not wanting to mount the cartridge, since it is residing very safely in its wooden presentation box, I applied various tuning forks to the arm to try to excite any resonances that might be there....just couldn't find any....this arm is DEAD.