upgrading VPI turntable

Good advise re upgrading the HW19. The biggest shortcoming of the HW19 Jr was the platter. It's lower weight compared to the HW-19 MK1, 2, 3, and certainly the MK 4 platters resulted in lower rotational inertia, hence poor speed stability; and also a lighter, less weighty sonic signature. The MK4 platter is definitely the ticket, but the regular acrylic/lead platters in the MK1-3 versions were also very good and a clear improvement over the Jr.'s. The MK4 platter is also more money and requires a thicker arm board, hence replacement of your Jr's arm board-less plinth.

I assume you have the Audioquest arm that was part of the Jr. "package".
Keep this in mind: the improvement of going from the Jr. platter to the regular Mk 1-3 acrylic/platter is greater than the improvement from that platter to the MK 4. The Audioquest arm (if that is what you have) was a decent arm. If your budget is a strict $1500, IMO the biggest bang for the
buck would be replacing the Jr. platter with a MK 1-3 platter, replacing your cartridge with something that grabs your attention after reading this:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1200430667&&&/Who-needs-a-MM-cartridge-type-when-we-ha, and buying a used SDS.

Good luck.

Yes i have a REGA 300 tonearm. Can upgrade to the origin live as long as its able to drop in .
audiopoints look like an easy upgrade looks like a good start

I replaced the entire suspension and plinth on my MKIII with a 1/2" X 3" brass "T" supported by 2" Brass columns. I drilled the bearing hole and machined a slot for my SME-V tonearm and the whole thing sits on sorbo pucks. I am using my SAMA to drive it. Total cost was around $250 for the new plinthless base.

Improvements - 3 dimensionality - no resonance and a height to the image. Also I use a Grado and by turning around the SAMA so the AC cord exits to the left and rear - no more hum! Maybe I post pix if I can get it together. Next upgrade $800 on the Classic platter and bearing assy. But one kid in college next year. I have to sell something. Maybe a kidney.

I wish i was that handy to make upgrades like that ,unfortunately beyond replacing a lightbulb i am not too handy. i srewed up a tonearm trying to replace a cartridge by pulling too hard on the pins and disconnecting them from the wire. Any upgrades would have to find someone in NYC area to do work witch all starts to add up. your upgrades sound great though

I'm fairly handy, and can assemble, lube, or mount parts without getting into too much trouble.

Still, when I decided to upgrade from the MDF Junior Plinth, to something different, I purchased the 1.00" thick Black Acrylic Plinth already pre-cut to size from a Plastics Company, and then took that brand new Sheet, and the original MDF Plinth to an accomplished machinist.

What he did, was pretty much copy the original, and made a clone, but insured that the 211mm S-P distance for the required Tonearm was within +- .003" tolerance. VPI was a little "off" on the Original Plinth's S-P spec by about 2mm.

I was originally seriously kicking around using 1.00" Aluminum Sheet as a Plinth Material instead, and this Material can be acquired from places such as McMaster-Carr. Was going to have it cut slightly oversize, let the machinist cut it to proper precise size, do all the needed machining-drilling-tapping, polish the top surface, then send it out to an Anodizer, and have it Black Anodized.

I think the Sheet of Aluminum a few years back was something like $125. And add about $200 for machining fees, and then the costs for anodizing.

I later decided Acrylic would be suitable, attractive, have good sonic qualities, since VPI also thought it was a worthy material, less expensive, but not easier to work with the Machinist claimed. Acylic when being worked has a nasty habit due to static electricity of sticking to everything!

I substituted the stock Sorbothane Puck Suspension with four Herbies Firm Tall Tenderfeet due to the added weight of Plinth, solid Steel Sub-Chassis Sheet under the Plinth, and a 16lb Mk-IV Platter. In stock Junior form, the standard firmness Tall Tenderfeet would work fine. Herbies Grungebuster Discs, and Washers were utilized all over the place on the table to very good effect.

My Table is a somewhat very similar clone to an original HW-19 MK-IV Table. I wanted to keep a very similar theme, and look, yet added a few nice touches-improvements.

The folks at VPI have seen Pics of it, and they were quite impressed. So was my buddy Doug Deacon here, saying it was the nicest HW-19 Table he's ever seen.

The beauty of the HW-19, is that it can be "personalized" in so many different ways ala Home Improvement center practically. As one example, one gentleman over on akarma took his Oak Base, to a Guitar Luthier, and had them shoot the Base in Tobacco Sunburst Finish. His reminds me of a Fender Stratocaster! Very nice.

If I can ever me of further service, and help to you, and others here, you are more than welcome to contact me.
Mark