Do you think being charged 80.00 for correctly balancing a TT counterweight/tracking

Personally I would never have thought of paying someone else to do it, as I thought most people read instructions and need to learn how to do it themselves so they can later on change out carts. But I don't see how transporting it home would change the Alignment. And I have transported a table many times with the platter, the weight, and headshell on with the table sitting in a box on the seat of the car, just clamp the arm in the rest. I am trying to figure out how transporting it home would change the alignment. The carts should be tight on the head, and if you have a removable head shell you can remove them and reinstall them when your home.

Maybe I missed something?
 
one more question before I dive into this. do you measure the scale atop the plinth or the platter? I've researched a little and it seems lot of folks put the scale atop the table's plinth

Tape the platter to the plinth so it wont spin with a small piece of painters tape. Remove the cork mat and place the scale on the platter - this should put the scale height at the same height as the record would usually sit. Use the suggested weight for your cartridge - you can get this info at needle doctor. All the settings matter but the VTF is the most important to the life of your vinyl.
 
This is waste. Alignment cannot be kept while table is carried from dealer to owner's home. Moreover it should not be moved without counterweight and platter taken off.

I respectively disagree. I've shown folks how to do this on their turntables at locations other than where they intend to use them. Most folks are capable of learning this very quickly, and after making adjustments under the watch of an experienced hand are no longer freaked out by the prospect and manage very well.
 
I have the same TT. I've made adjustments numerous times and I was always pleasantly surprised on the accuracy of the counterweight. I use a Shure SFG-2 gauge and it is usually very close to what the counterweight is set at. Perhaps a digital gauge is much more accurate than the Shure?

I used a cheaper digital gauge, it was about a gram off before using the scale
 
One more question about tracking force. My scale reads 1.5 grams where I should be, but the counterweight scale on the tonearm is not centered on 15 it's slightly off to the right and not dead center. Will this affect sonics or wear and tear on the vinyl?
 
One more question about tracking force. My scale reads 1.5 grams where I should be, but the counterweight scale on the tonearm is not centered on 15 it's slightly off to the right and not dead center. Will this affect sonics or wear and tear on the vinyl?
It does not matter what counterweight shows - if real weight is 1.5, this is what matters.
 
Excellent! Thought I'd have to go back and try and balance the tonearm all over again. Thank you
Do not forget that you stylus scale should be at the same plane where vinyl disk should be. Tonearms are mostly statically balanced and any change in height affects effective VTF.
 
Spend your money on a scale, protractor and level and do it yourself.
You might want to invest in a test record as well.
Watch some videos, ask questions here, go slow, be careful.
If you add or change the mat, it may affect the VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle) of your tonearm which would need to be adjusted.
You may also want to experiment with tracking force withing the suggested range, starting in the middle and trying small increments up and down.
It's a valuable skill and you'll get a sense of accomplishment well beyond the $80 you would have given to the shop.
Do be carefull! The stylus is delicate, and expensive!
If you were in the neighborhood, I'd be glad to come over and help, maybe there's a friendly AKer near you!
 
Supporting your local shops and buying from them will go a long way. Most will include a set up and support long after the purchase. Having local/in person support can be worth paying the sales tax.

this hobby is still relatively new for me. When I discovered there was a place specializing in vintage hifi and some new audio gear about 15 minutes away I was pretty pumped.

Last couple times I stopped in I got-to-talking to them and I get the feeling that they're seeing increased business compared to 10 years ago. Made it seem like they're selling a ton of turntables to the twenty-somethings.

I think if giving the option of online shopping or going to an actual store... online shopping loses 9 time out of 10 for most people. Especially with things dealing with this hobby.
 
I'd probably deal locally.

YEP

I thought I addressed that in my previous post. If you buy stuff or have stuff serviced at a local business, they are much more likely to throw in the associated perks like setting up your table up for free. Even if you can buy the product on-line for $20 less, the local guy that wants $20 more is going to provide customer service, not just a return address for shipping if something goes awry.

If you outsource something to save a couple bucks, expect to pay full price if you take it to a local shop.
 
For that kind of money i'd buy 2 more akai turntables...

I just get the service manual for my tt and tried it myself and its already a huge difference.
 
YEP

I thought I addressed that in my previous post. If you buy stuff or have stuff serviced at a local business, they are much more likely to throw in the associated perks like setting up your table up for free. Even if you can buy the product on-line for $20 less, the local guy that wants $20 more is going to provide customer service, not just a return address for shipping if something goes awry.

If you outsource something to save a couple bucks, expect to pay full price if you take it to a local shop.


Quick story about an encounter at a thrift store today.

Had a stressful day with 2 exams at school and decided to have a little thrift store therapy session. While looking at the records a talkative guy started looking through them next to me and started talking (like talkative thrift store guys often do). He divulged he had 4 turntables and he was "amazed you can still find belts and accessories online."

I told him about the local dealer around the corner and he basically called them "a rip off" because he can get the same belt for 15 dollars online that the local guy will charge "outrages prices for." I tried to tell him that the last belt I purchased locally cost only 18 bucks... he was set in his ways though.

I'd rather pay the extra three dollars and have the local shop measure my table for accuracy while skipping the wait for shipping. This is what I told him and he replied with, "theres no wait for online." Apparently he has a 3d printer or star trek transporter of some sort (if he does he should be wealthy and not worried about an extra 3 bucks).
 
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