Headshell Clips or Cartridge Mounting First?

[MylesBAstor]

Do you mount your cartridge first and then attach the leads or attach the headshell leads first and then mount the cartridge?

I might be the exception but I do the latter. In part, because the VPI tonearm wand is removable and makes mounting a bit easier than a fixed pivot arm. Two, because I've sworn off using tweezers (even with the excellent tweezers that Graham supplies) and attach the headshell leads directly with my fingers (I have excellent fine motor control). I've had too many bad experiences of bending the clips with tweezers. (never thankfully broken one off though!) I might also point out that one of the biggest changes has been the standardization of headshell clips and/or diameter of cartridge pins. Twenty years ago, the size of headshell clips were all over the place and half the time the clips were too loose and one had to try and use pliers, etc to make the clips smaller. Lastly, I've had experiences with long bodied cartridges that making attaching leads post-mounting very difficult eg. in case where the cartridge is pushed way back in the headshell.

Ok you can stop laughing now.

[Rob]

push on leads first then mount cartridge. i'm like you and have pretty good fine motor skills, years of practice building 1/43 scale replicas in my former hobby life.

best cartridge clips I ever used or seen have to be Bill Firebaugh's from the original run of Well Tempered arms. Bill was rather proud of them too and bought out the entire NOS supply. I've not seen them since nor did Bill know where to get more. I was buying spares from Transparent audio until they cut me off because they were running out of their own stash!

[Guest]

I:

1) mount the cartridge on a headshell.
2) attach headshell to tonearm
3) place tonearm cable clips on cartridge pins using tweezers

Sometimes I reverse the #1 and #2 order.

Generally, the less time the cartridge is in my hand, the better.

Normal/generic headshell clips seem the weakest point in the analog system cable chain.

[Per Sundell]

Voted Cart first but it depends on whether you get a stylus guard or not and what tonearm you´re working with. On Breuer-type headshells it is clips first because of the limited space to do them up as step two.

[Metamatic]

All my tonearms have removable arm wands or headshells.

I always mount the cartridge at the very end of the headshell
then attach the headshell wires
then move the cartridge into the centre, tighten the screws a little
then align cartridge

[Per Sundell]

I have a confession to make. I enjoy mounting and aligning cartridges immensely. My definition of a perfect saturday morning is getting up at seven. Having a triple shot cappuccino and a fried breakfast. Then mounting a cartridge, aligning it and then listen to some music.

[tom_hankins]

I wish you lived next door to me. I have an expresso machine, some great expresso beans, and two cartridges here I have not heard yet.

[Metamatic]

Per, I am a bit like you. Only one thing to add. Family must be out or very quiet. Cartridge setup needs quiet and a clear head.

[Per Sundell]

Correct. You need peace and quiet and to be in the zone to do a good job.

[Joe Pittman]

Scenario 1: If the cartridge has a stylus guard, I'll mount the pin clips first. I want the pin clips to be clean and fit perfectly. This is a major bottleneck to performance. And in all cases I use a torque screw driver for final adjustment.

Scenario 2: If no stylus guard, then I'll mount the cartridge to the arm because I don't want to risk damage to the cantilever. But this takes more time, as I don't want to stress the tonearm bearings.

Scenario 3: On removable arms, I'll mount the cartridge first and then arrange the wires. In all cases I like to carefully arrange the wires so they do not touch each other.

Scenario 4: Sometimes it depends if the wires are very tight at the cartridge/headshell mounting. So I may or may not mount the cartridge first.

Mounting sequence varies and each assembly can be unique.

[MylesBAstor]

So far am glad I'm not the only one attaching leads first.

[dcc]

Attaching leads first. As I am not swapping cartridges, this only happens when I have to replace/retip the cartridge so I don't practice often.

[jonathanb]

Leads first, even with the RG-8 and the VAS Nova Signature. It's just easier this way with the VPI armwands.

[A/V Solutions]

Most of the time its leads first but on occasion its cartridge first......mounting SPU

[Stringreen]

I never have a problem when sliding the pins on with my fingers then mounting the cartridge. No torn clips off from the wires...easy to do.

[dan31]

Cartridge first. Leads after cartridge is on arm.

[mep]

I always mount the cartridge to the headshell first so that the cartridge is stable and secure when I push the clips on with a pair of tweezers. For me at least, cartridges are too expensive to take a chance at holding the cartridge with one hand and pushing the small leads on with your fingers. I consider it a delicate operation and treat it as such. I don't know how fat fingers and fine motor control go together on small and delicate/fragile items. Maybe this is one of the areas where the infamous maid creeps in and ruins a cartridge.

[astrotoy]

I'll ask Stirling Trayle what he does! :-) It's scary enough to use a brush on the stylus. Larry

[Doxycc]

funny - my response was going to be "call Stirling" (he and I were the distributors of T+A and Amphion together) and "Call Allen Perkins." And if I pull the trigger on the DS Audio, call "Garth Leerer" - because I have more cash than skill.

Fortunate to have known all 3 for 30 years and all local to me. And that "Magico guy" lives nearby as well.