Graham Set-up Jig: Advice Needed

So, I buy a Phantom and put my cartridge on using the new and inproved Graham jig (vs. the orig. G-2.2 jig) and presto, glorious sound, never heard bettter in my system. Then I added a headshell spacer to gain added VTA adjustment and all seemed fine, then it started sounding a bit "off". So I found to my dismay that the nylon cartridge screws had loosened and I could twist the cartridge. So removing them and replacing with SS screws I can't get the cartridge to sound nearly as good as I did before. R channel distortion, end of side distortion, no matter how I adjust the cart. using the jig I can't get it any better sounding. So, now I am second and third guessing my approach to using the jig itself.

To those of you that use it, how do you sight the jig to make sure that your viewing it dead on center? Any head tilt or off center viewing L vs. R throws my whole allignment off. Should I use one or both eyes? Currently I am trying the single dominant eye with a loupe lens but I am having trouble gauging when I am actually viewing it "centered". I'm starting to have PTCAD, post traumatic cartridge allignment disorder!

Hi Jack,

So, the parallax you refer to is in relation to the two engraved lines or a refelection of the cantilever? I was using a parallax reflection of the "9" in the corner to tell me I was centered but somehow I think it didn't work too well! So, should I sight with one or both eyes? This is a variable I have yet to clearly establish for myself. I've tried all three ways and because I have yet to get things back the way they should be I have lost some confidence in my approach. Funny, the older jig with more room for error was never this problematic!!

I'll go back to using both eyes. What do you use/suggest as a good magnifier? My loupe's are one eye types.

Well, I knew it. If I took off the Benz and repositioned it I'd never get it same. I hate when I'm right (sometimes!). Why did I know? My typical luck. Anyway, I kind of went back to my original way of sighting, but I need extra eye power since my close up vision has been going the way of Arctic ice sheet. I did a reposition last night and a little bit of listening. I need to reposition the stylus just a bit, but certain things remain. Good LP's sound good and LP's used/new with excessive groove noise, sound terrible at the same tracks as before but on some used LP's, I don't remember having problems with, are having major problems at around the last two tracks. Not all used LP's just some. So I am still a bit perplexed by this. Yet, my Goldring will typically do much, much better with zero to low lewels of groove distortion on the same tracks. I remountd my Goldring last night and plan to do a bit of A/B listening. If my problems persist with the Benz I am going have to presume something is amiss. The level of distortion I'm hearing is worse than anything I've heard from it in the past. And while it may be dependent upon correct geometry it has never shown itself to be hyper critical of set up in the past. It would never give you the ragged edge just better sound with better geometry. I can't imagine the Phantom being an issue. I may as a last resort put the Benz back on my G 2.2 and see what I get.

Jack,

Hey, no question is too dumb. At least that's what I heard from my teachers! And it holds true for me re: my audio expertise. I have plenty of fluid in the arm. Last night I pulled my armwand off to make some added adj. to the Benz and saw that the cart. had moved from my last set up. Now, I know I didn't do that bad a job of centering the stylus! I mean it was located almost atop the left line. I tightened the screws good and checked the alignment after that before I reinstalled the arm. Funny, it sounded better, less over all distortion but now more L and center oriented vs. mostly R channel. So, I re-adj. and will look again tonight to see if it held. This was very strange indeed. Maybe my eyes are crossing during alignment!

So, using the same jig I put the Goldring on a G 2.2 armwand. It sounded good, and sailed through the same LP's the Benz is having issues with. The Goldring is certainly easier to set up since the fat cantilever is the width of the two lines on the jig, where as the Benz is 1/3 the width. At least I can get that dialed in w/o too much trouble. One thing though, the cantilever on the Benz is slightly scewed to the right forcing me to try and shift the tail end to the right to get the catilever centered. But I cant shift the cart. far enough over to my satisfaction. It's almost there but just a fraction off. I can only get it far enough by loosening the screws quite a bit but as soon as I tighten them the cart. is forced back over. No matter what I do to keep it in the position I want it wont stay. I kind of remember this problem mounting it on my G 2.2. I may try to file a wee bit off that part of the screw(s) passing through the headshell so I can shift them a bit more.

Boy, there is no way it should be this hard to get right. At least it never was before. Talk about things that make you feel like a rookie. I'm saving up all my beer credits for when I solve this thing!!

So, I repositioned the Benz and my results are about the same. On some of my well used LP's at pretty much the same place, the second and last song on a side, the distortion starts immediately. New LP's are fine as far as I can tell, and used LP's that have liitle play time or are in really good shape seem fine, though more spinning is needed to sustain this fact. I have the Benz stylus adjusted the best that my judgement allows. I'm ready to drop kick my cartridge through the goal posts of life! I can't think of a reason the Phantom would be causing this on its own, and my Goldring seemed okay in the same set up. The cartridge was serviced by local guy who repairs cartridges. He has a good rep. and the cartridge souded great for a while. I am wondering though if the rubber "O" ring that was replaced is suffering from the colder temps.,
60-65 F-ish that my room is kept at. Maybe the suspension stiffens a bit on cold temps.? I'm grasping at straws here. Anyone have a Benz in great shape they want to sell?!!