Among my youthful indiscretions was placing a penny on my tonearm’s cartridge to make sure the needle stayed in the grooves. Pity I didn’t have AcousTech’s stylus force gauge to help me dial in the right tracking force, as I might still be able to play those records. While it costs a bit more than a mechanical gauge (such as the Shure SFG-2), you’ll get more accurate measurements (to within 0.0002 grams), plus a sharp-looking all-metal casing, a calibration/test weight, storage case, and even a mini screwdriver for making adjustments.
