Is it really OK to remove anti-skate thingy?

[klao]

I'm a novice to turntable and vinyl.

The 2nd-hand VPI Classic 3 set I got from a good friend came with an extra 10" arm. I'm thinking of adding a mono cartridge on that arm; however, the little anti-skate device with that string on the current setup might make it much harder to do arm/cartridge swapping.

Any thoughts? Thank you.

[audioguy3107]

Originally Posted by klao

I'm a novice to turntable and vinyl. The 2nd-hand VPI Classic 3 set I got from a good friend came with an extra 10" arm. I'm thinking of adding a mono cartridge on that arm; however, the little anti-skate device with that string on the current setup might make it much harder to do arm/cartridge swapping. Any thoughts? Thank you.

You can remove it if you want. H. W. (Of V.P.I) insists that his tables sound better without the antiskate device anyway. I have mine disconnected without any trouble at all. My dealer said he recommends VPI tables without it hooked up as well.

- Buck

[audio bill]

I have setup several VPI tonearms and have disconnected/removed the anti-skating mechanism in all cases as Harry recommends. It's not that he claims that no A/S is needed, but rather that the force from the twisted wire lead in his arms is sufficient in most cases and sounds better than engaging another A/S mechanism. Of course in specific setup situations additional force may be required, so YMMV definitely applies.

[PMCH]

On my Classic 1, I didn't use anti skate but on my Classic 3, I do. I think I hear an improvement but someone else may not.