Technics SL1200: standard overhang gauge or MintLP

Nice to see a thread, where once, we all seem to agree about something! Yep, the Mintlp Protractor is superb, no doubt about it.

The TB Protractor isn't bad, but everybody seems to note differences in alignment when comparing the two, so with that said, I then wonder, is it the inaccuracy of the Sight Line TB versus the Arc Tractor, or is the TB Tractor in error some other way?

I wonder, and have asked this before, about some of these Arms, with "odd" null points, and can Yip then provide some custom Tractor per given Arm which seems to "stray" from other well known geometries? (Stevenson-Baerwald-Loefgren)

As others may know, there's another available Arc Tractor available, by Ken Willis, looks to be a very good quality as well, but is not a mirror, so the Parallax aid in aligning Cantilever may not be as good.

Still, on this Arc Tractor that he makes, one can have all three of the mentioned geometries above on one Tractor. Of course, being an Arc Tractor, it is only good for one known Spindle-Pivot Arm distance. Mark

Hello Nrenter,

I've had a few Protractors over the years, first the Mo-Fi Geodisc about 10 years ago.

Then Doug Deacon suggested the Turntable Basics Protractor to me, and I thought it was better than the Geodisc, being a Mirror, having two Null Grids. Doug explained-taught me how to enhance its aiming acuracy, with the use of a a piece of thread, to extend the Sight Line to Tonearm Pivot. I felt the sound did indeed improve.

I think maybe the T-Basics Tractor's one flaw is thicker Grid Lines, and one doesn't really realize-know this until something better comes along.

Print-ups from Vinyl engine just didn't seem worth the effort, they were in no way better than the Geodisc, or TB Tractor for Baerwald Alignment IMO.

Then for a period, Ken Willis, and I had collaborated, and Ken kindly emailed some PDF files of some Arc Tractors for my particular S-P Distance. Here again, I noted errors, and a slight improvement, versus the TB Protractor. Things kept getting better, and sounding better, so at least I knew I was headed in the right direction.

Then enter the MintLP Protractor. I like others, took the chance, there was lots of very good buzz about this product, giving good gains in playback performance, and like others here, I wanted to reap those benefits as well.

Of course one might find it hard to shell out $100-$110 for a tool, and be aprehensive-skeptical of its worth, I was a bit at first I admit.

The gains I feel was worth the cost to me. Before, my sound seemed to sound "almost right, not bad, getting better, but was still feeling like something still wasn't just right, or correct". After the careful use of the Mintlp, the sound was improved to the point, that I feel this is now one area, where I haven't induced any incorrect set-up errors, from lack of knowledge, or expertise-experience.

I'm certainly not anywhere near the league of Frank Shroder, who can listen to a Table-Arm Cartridge, hear certain shortcomings in an instant, and quickly, and wisely know "the VTF is too high, VTA is off, there is inner groove distortion being caused by this or that, etc." (in other words, to make a long story short, an average Shmoe like me needs all the help I can get!) This one tool has helped me to better my sound, and to better understand this one facet, the geometrical mechanics of achieving optimum vinyl playback.

Ken Willis, like you, has made very recent mention as well, of perhaps manufacturing a Mirror Arc Protractor. I wish him well in his pursuits, he's a great guy, and helping to provide good tools, and help to the audio community.

As I close, one very unique property of the Mintlp Tractor, is that the Vinyl Overlay on the Glass Mirror is a translucent material, except where the two Null Grids Are. There, the material is trasparent-crystal clear in that area, thus aiding in better ease of accurately sighting of both the Null Points, and the Alignment of Cantilever. This man apparently had his thinking cap on when he made this Tool. Mark

I haope I'm not dragging this thread out, and "wasting" Bandwidth by responding again.

I do agree Nrenter. I'm not at all upset spending what I did for the Mintlp Protractor, he does include a nice Lighted Magnifier, a small trial bottle of record cleaner, and one can bypass the option of Loupe if they choose.

I'm now more sort of sdaddened of the now two uneeded Geodisc, and TB Tractors. which have now become redundant, and are sitting-collecting dust. Of course, they served their purpose for me in the past, and were of course better then using nothing, or a poor printout Tractor.

One thing I failed to mention in my last response, which may also be a benefit for the Mintlp Tractor, or ones that may follow it, is the Mintlp Tractor has a very fine Arc Trace, and literal "microscopic" Null Ticks, and Null Grid Lines, permitting I believe, much better resolution, and fine tuning of this critical alignment.

I feel any Protractor to come along in the future, which would not possess this same ultra fine detail of Alignment respolution will most likely fall short of Yip's Mintlp Protractor.

I totally agree, that not all Vinyl Lovers have front ends that cost what a new BMW cost, and some have very nice Decks-Cartridges, at more down to earth prices.
Yes, it would be nice, that these folks too, could have a tool that is more reasonably priced, is readily available, and will do a very good job.

Right now, I see this option at the present, as Mr. Ken Willis. The more players in the game, the better it gets! Mark