Turn table arms question

[Woodchippie]

There are rega turn tables on eBay for around £100 with no arms.

Can I buy any arm and do they all fit straight forwardly?

can you recommend an arm and anything else I may need to complete turn table?

i may have to buy in stages due to budget or do you recommend buying a complete rega TT

thanks in advance.

 

[Al ears]

Of course any Rega arm will fit but you have to check if turntable takes the older style column mount or the newer 3-point mount.

If you are unsure about this it is probably best to by a turntable with the arm already fitted, it will save a bit of faff.

You will also require a cartridge of some sort.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

You can fit any arm that you want but you'll need to change the mount and, unless it's a Rega arm, the location of the hole where the arm fits. Mounting distances vary quite a lot, and the Rega arm mounting distance isn't the same as the Linn mounts, which are probably the most popular.

On Rega decks if you don't go Rega you're left with drilling a new or enlarging the existing hole, and that can look pretty ugly, believe me!

Best off buying a deck with an arm, as the man says.

 

[nopiano]

I'd also suggest getting a complete deck. In the nicest possible way, the fact you had to ask means that you would probably not get the results you hope for.

 

[Bod]

Buying all the parts seperate will work out more expensive.

Rega Planar 2 without arm for instance, on ebay selling for £80 to £100, Rega RB250 around £80, more for the RB300, then at the very least £35 for a cartidge (AT95e). Totaling £215 then you've got to make it work!

I got the whole thing in good working order for £120 and I've seen them for less than that.

 

[Al ears]

What Bod says is what I was trying to say. If, and it sounds from your original question, you are not entirely sure of the way to go then do not buy seperate bits. You could be getting in to a bit of a costly minefield.

If you are set on getting a turntable buy one as a complete entity.

 

[Woodchippie]

Thanks for all the advice, I was thinking that I could build something cheaper and upgradable.. But your probably right in saying buy complete..

I just didn't want to get something I couldn't upgrade and would have to sell and buy better in a year or so.

Would rega planer 3 be a good start? As I will be buying Rega brio as soon as funds allow.

 

[mitch65]

It would be a very good start and plenty of room to upgrade in the future :beer:

 

[Al ears]

Sorry I didn't mean to say that upgrading a deck is not a choice.

Of course it is and if you can get a cheap Rega Planar 3 then this is an excellent deck. I used to have one myself.

If you know what you are doing, or know a person that does, then it is very upgradeable. It uses the old style pillar - type mount and, as such, has a number of arm options that can be fitted to it including Origin Live tonearms / Roksan / Funk arms and the like.

The RB300 arm, commonly fitted to this deck, is no slouch however and this in itself will accomodate a very good cartridge.

The cartridge is always the starting point for upgrades, I feel.

 

[Al ears]

Thanks for all the advice, I was thinking that I could build something cheaper and upgradable.. But your probably right in saying buy complete..

I just didn't want to get something I couldn't upgrade and would have to sell and buy better in a year or so.

Would rega planer 3 be a good start? As I will be buying Rega brio as soon as funds allow.

Further to my previous post I would have to add that the RP3 idea could be a good starting point as long as you get a good one to start with. They are showing their age and original versions had the motor held in with rubber bands that perish. Newer versions had an uprated motor more firmly attached!

I think, ultimately if you are aiming to buy cheap and keep long term, there are bettter decks to start off with.

At the end of the day the newer 'entry level' decks as a complete unit may turn out to be a better buy unless you happen to be very handy and know exactly what you are getting in to.