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[TotalSonic]

So - I need to source a tonearm compatible with a 16" platter for the Fairchild lathe I just bought - but the older SME and Ortofon tone arms that typically are found with lathes are either unobtanium or out of my budget.

The one relatively affordable options I found are these new Rek-O-Kut ones I found for under $700 at:
http://www.esotericsound.com/ArmsAndHeadshells.htm\
(scroll down to info on the "Transcribe" and the S-260 MK II)

Does anyone have any experience with these?  Any other ideas in regards to finding a relatively inexpensive solution for this?

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Bonati]

Hey Steve - you might as well have the Schick tonearm on your radar:

http://www.thomas-schick.com/arm01.htm

I don't know the price but I bet it's not that cheap. At least it's an option since there aren't that many for this application.

[TotalSonic]

The Schick looks super nice!  (although possibly more than I want to spend).  Do you know if he has a State-side dealer?  Or is this direct sales only with his stuff?  

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Bonati]

Not totally sure but I bet it's direct. I'll get off my ass and email him and report back. Been meaning to do it for months.

[Thomas W. Bethel]

You might look around at second hand audio shops like this one http://www.playitagainsam.com/. Every once in a while they have things like the REK-O-KUT arms and I have seen them on EBAY. A local radio station, WKSU-RM,  had a garage sale a while back and they were selling a lot of older audio gear including a couple of turntables. Lots of PBS and NPR stations may have stuff like this sitting around. Maybe a phone call to some of them locally would be in order???

Here is the current listing on EBAY for transcription tone arms http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=transcription+tone+arm& _sacat=0&_dmpt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&_odkw=16%22+Tr anscription+tone+arm&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270 .l1313

[Bonati]

The US dealer is Oswald Mills Audio:

http://www.oswaldsmillaudio.com/Products/schick.html

Price is $1475.

[TotalSonic]

Bonati wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 14:03

The US dealer is Oswald Mills Audio: http://www.oswaldsmillaudio.com/Products/schick.html Price is $1475.

ouch.  Not what I want to spend on this by a factor of 2.
So far Rek-O-Kut or second hand is what I'm going to do.  

One poster on the Lathetrolls forum suggested diy'ing extra length onto an existing 9" tonearm - but for me it's worth paying a few extra hundred to not have the hassle.  But a thousand extra? - ummm, no thanks.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[TotalSonic]

Thomas W. Bethel wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 07:52

You might look around at second hand audio shops like this one http://www.playitagainsam.com/. Every once in a while they have things like the REK-O-KUT arms and I have seen them on EBAY. A local radio station, WKSU-RM,  had a garage sale a while back and they were selling a lot of older audio gear including a couple of turntables. Lots of PBS and NPR stations may have stuff like this sitting around. Maybe a phone call to some of them locally would be in order??? Here is the current listing on EBAY for transcription tone arms   http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=transcription+tone+arm&   _sacat=0&_dmpt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&_odkw=16%22+Tr   anscription+tone+arm&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270 .l1313

Thomas -
Thanks for the links.  Play It Again Sam actually looks relatively reasonably priced so I'll check back there to see if anything turns up.  OT (but relevant to more obscure 2nd hand audio gear stores) - but wouldn't mind finding a Nakamich MR-1 or Dragon either actually.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[bigaudioblowhard]

we had a vintage 16" Rekokut arm on the Technics SP10 we used to transfer old lacquers at my former place of employ. It worked well but there was little adjustment available in the headshell for the cartridge, so if you were pulling a take from nearer the center of the lacquer, tracking error occured. Sometimes noticeable, usually not so much.

I'd say go for as modern a one as you can find, and afford. You wouldn't wanna keep recutting a side just because you hear something on playback that is your arm mistracking. My $.02.

bab

[TotalSonic]

bigaudioblowhard wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 18:42

we had a vintage 16" Rekokut arm on the Technics SP10 we used to transfer old lacquers at my former place of employ. It worked well but there was little adjustment available in the headshell for the cartridge, so if you were pulling a take from nearer the center of the lacquer, tracking error occured. Sometimes noticeable, usually not so much. I'd say go for as modern a one as you can find, and afford. You wouldn't wanna keep recutting a side just because you hear something on playback that is your arm mistracking. My $.02. bab

Mark - makes sense.  Just to be clear the "Rek-O-Kut" arms I linked to in my first post are in fact new modern design models made under the old name - and in fact offer more features than the Schick has for half the price.  

They have two models - one that offers oil damping for an extra $200.  Do folks think this is well worth the extra cash?

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Bonati]

TotalSonic wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 18:49

...and in fact offer more features than the Schick has for half the price.

Well, the Schick arm deliberately has no "features" because it designed for a very specific type of playback setup & cartridge choice. The reasons for no anti-skating & other tweaks are plainly listed. I balked at the price too, but in general you can't really discount it  because of the lack of features.

[Gold]

bigaudioblowhard wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 18:42

You wouldn't wanna keep recutting a side just because you hear something on playback that is your arm mistracking. My $.02.

It depends on how you approach things. All problems are playback after all. The cutting equipment doesn't care if you pull 1.5A on esses. There are some who cut sides knowing they can't be played back well on pedestrian equipment. This is audiophile.

I cut and audition with a cheap cartridge and certainly no anti skate. I don't know many who know how to set it up properly. I'd rather everyone have a chance.

[TotalSonic]

Bonati wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 20:45

TotalSonic wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 18:49 ...and in fact offer more features than the Schick has for half the price. Well, the Schick arm deliberately has no "features" because it designed for a very specific type of playback setup & cartridge choice.  The reasons for no anti-skating & other tweaks are plainly listed. I balked at the price too, but in general you can't really discount it  because of the lack of features.

Understood - and I'm sure when paired with the right headshell and cartridge it sounds amazing. It does truly look like a super carefully crafted beautiful piece of art.  That doesn't negate that it's still more than what I want to pay to just get a workable solution for playback on this lathe - and that luckily seems I've found something else cheaper that still should work fine.

Basically - I'm trying to get something so I can first test and calibrate the lathe, and second to do quick checks of test cuts - not necessarily something that is capable of doing the best possible archival transfers.  Once things are working well - and once the lathe is showing itself to be more than just a hobby - will be the time for me to do upgrades.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[TotalSonic]

Gold wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 21:10

bigaudioblowhard wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 18:42  You wouldn't wanna keep recutting a side just because you hear something on playback that is your arm mistracking. My $.02. It depends on how you approach things. All problems are playback after all. The cutting equipment doesn't care if you pull 1.5A on esses. There are some who cut sides knowing they can't be played back well on pedestrian equipment. This is audiophile. I cut and audition with a cheap cartridge and certainly no anti skate. I don't know many who know how to set it up properly. I'd rather everyone have a chance.

Yeah - one thing I did during my stint cutting at Europadisk was to bring in a cheap Technics with an equally cheap AudioTechnica cartridge - and then carved off some plastic from the shell so that it could playback not only test records but also test cuts on 14" copper mothers.  This often gave me a better sense of what things would sound like on playback for more common setups than the SME + Shure  V15VMR setup on the lathe did.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[djwaudio]

Here's a dumb question about the transcription arm...  Is that mounted on the lathe so you can listen to playback as the side is cut?  Why the 16" requirement?  I love records but have never seen a lathe in action. Thanks.