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Rear arm on VPI Classic 4 Turntable

Has anyone ever put a rear arm on a VPI Classic 4 turntable?  Does a 12 inch arm work comfortably at the back or is a 10 inch arm better?  What hardware is needed? How difficult is it to install - and use?

I’m a unipivot wand arm swapper.  I have 5 12 inch JMW 12 inch wand arms.  I was thinking of adding a 12 inch gimbal to the right sided arm but want to preserve a 12 inch unipivot for my other wandarms.

I am turning to the community for advice because try as I might I cannot get VPI to answer my emails or calls.  They seem to have abandoned customer service for some reason  I do love the turntable though despite being ghosted.

Useful input appreciated!

ulcerdoc
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,474 posts
 

https://www.vpiindustries.com/classic4VPI Classic 4 was designed for 12" and 10/12"

elliottbnewcombjr
7,731 posts
 

It's a shame they don't help you, it can get tricky. My long arm, I realized Afterwards I had a few close clearances, just got lucky. And, I had to cut a notch in my dust cover for the 'above plinth' wires.

This Classic 4, the rear plate and part of the arm is cantilevered beyond the rear and left side of the plinth, and the cable is not out the bottom of the arm post, i.e. din, it is above the plinth, sticking out much further.

 

 

Sometimes a VPI Junction Box has to make a transition from delicate tonearm wires to RCA Jacks, I did that with box from NewArtVinyl, later a box from VPI using their mini-din connector.

 

 

without a dust cover, you can make a bigger mounting plate, or, a huge/heavy dust cover around the Plinth and extended parts

Check the height of the gimbal below the dust cover, when the arm post is raised for a tall cartridge, say 22mm, above a thick LP.

With a more compact plinth, with a dust cover that sits ON the plinth, thus smaller, lighter, easier to place somewhere during play, be more careful:

Don’t forget the length of the counterweight section behind the pivot.

a. if removable dust cover, it only has to fit when parked and you put the cover back on

b. IF a hinged dust cover, the rear of the arm must clear the portion of the dust cover on it’s outside edge as it pivots: if the rear, the rear face, if right side, the side of the cover or a side hinge.

I have seen cutouts to allow an arm to pivot while the dust cover is closed, however many of us believe a cover should be removed, or left raised, so as not to reflect micro-vibrations back down to the LP, arm ...

 

tablejockey
4,403 posts
 

It's here

https://www.vpiindustries.com/classic4?srsltid=AfmBOorlfqqp0b_JG4E7pJ9BEKjRw9ElXYUzTJU5G1E_HQ3hr1SqAmbF

The AI query will add more details

tablejockey
4,403 posts
 

 

Yes, you can fit two 12-inch tonearms on a VPI Classic 4 turntable

. The Classic 4 was specifically designed with a larger plinth for this purpose. 

VPI IndustriesVPI Industries +2

Key details regarding this setup:

  • Capacity: The plinth is large enough to accommodate two 12-inch arms, or a combination of 10-inch and 12-inch arms.
  • Setup: The second armboard typically mounts to the rear of the plinth, often overhanging the edge.
  • Arm Options: The table can be configured with VPI's own 12-inch 3D or Fatboy arms, as well as third-party arms.
  • Recommendation: While it is possible to mount two, users have noted that proper setup of a 12-inch arm requires careful attention to the spindle-to-pivot (S2P) distance and, in some cases, smaller counterweights may be needed to ensure full movement. 
elliottbnewcombjr
7,731 posts
 

Some arms, not many, have heavier weights, often Titanium. That allows a shorter rear counterweight, which might fit on the plinth or inside a dust cover. Also, a small diameter base might be needed if close to something.

I found a compact Mission (Jelco) that just barely fit for my third arm which is typically a Mono cartridge.

They made a fixed version which I started with, and the one I found later with a removable headshell. I just barely squeezed it on the plinth/under the dust cover when on. I had learned by getting lucky with my 2nd arm.

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