Scraping sound

All the tone arms that I have had have a means for setting VTF. Eg, one turn of the counterweight screw equals one gram. So why couldn't you set the VTF that way and then use the scale for checking or fine tuning? I don't see the need for two scales really.

Tonywinsc,

That's not how the counterweight works on VPI arms. It's not threaded, you just slide it in or out. How much this effects VTF depends on the weight of the cartridge, and there are no marks to go by.

With regards to scales, what if his one and only scale is faulty? What if it's indicating 2g when in fact he has 3g, for example?

It's critical to identify the cause of the low-riding. I'm not saying he has to BUY two scales. He can borrow one. I think the OP owuld benefit from clearly knowing what's going on.

I don't know about the VPI arm, but mine needs a scale to set VTF. I have a weight so I can check the calibration.

Thank you for eradicating my ignorance. I hadn't seen a tonearm that requires a scale as the only means to set VTF. I guess I don't get out enough. I have seen and heard VPI tables and arms before; but didn't get into the details of their set-up. I agree then, it might be good to have a back up scale for verification if you do not have a means to calibrate your primary scale.

There are a few, but not many I think, that require a scale. You are correct, and I agree, that most tonearms I have seen have a built-in scale of some sort for adjusting VTF