Alignment tool for SME V + Shelter

Nsgarch,
the SME sliding base will provide overhang adjustment - but the effective length of the arm is fixed depending on the stylus to mounting distance of the particular cartridge. The base moves the whole arm, it can't adjust the length.

The stylus to mounting distance of cartridges can vary by several mm, meaning that the arc made by the stylus will differ slightly. Mint-LP tractors are made for a specific effective length (hence fixed arc).

A variation in effective length of the SME (by using a cartridge with different stylus/mounting distance) could make it impossible to align the outer points of the arc printed on the MintLp tractor. I'm not sure what the sonic consequences of this would be, but alignment accuracy would be compromised.
BTW, I'm happy to be proved wrong if anyone wants to jump in(?).

Nobes, I understand your point, although I think "several mm" variation may be an exaggeration, especially with today's cartridges.

I'm not familiar with the use of the Mint alignment tool. However, I do know that a DB protractor gives accurate two-point tangency results so long as the stylus overhang is accurately adjusted for the tonearm being used. Small variations in stylus-to-pivot distance are apparently of far less consequence than an accurate (optimum) overhang setting. This is further illustrated by the fact that DB provides/allows a 6mm range of effective arm lengths in each of eight groups of arm lengths to which optimum overhang figures are attached.

That is a lot of "accurates" attributed to the DB, which at best gives a close approximation of what will playback vinyl. :-)

You can easily hear the difference between 1/2 mm off and being even less, off.

Dan, like I said, the SME alignment templates, though beautifully made, rely on 'by eye' guesstimates, which hardly cut it at that level of refinement; and I'm confident anyone who has ever used them would agree ;-)

The DB alignment protractor is also beautifully crafted and allows for very precise measurements; unfortunately though, DB leaves it up to the individual to figure out how to set the stylus overhang, and does not provide a tool for doing so. Failure to set overhang exactly, and the inability to use a Vernier scale probably account for poor results when they occur, but don't blame the DB. Used properly, I think it's as accurate as anything out there.

Yes, accurate. To be correct I should comment on the basis of precision. Here is where I find the DB to come up short.
Thanks.