Alternative arms on Rega turntables

[Mr Pig]

Rega like to sell their decks as packages, even including the cartridge if possible, and most people seem to just use them as they come out of the box. Old decks might get a substitute arm fitted to replace an arm removed for use elsewhere but the modern higher end decks pretty much always seem to get used as they are. Which if you think about it is quite odd.

I've wondered what the current P8 with the glass platter might sound like with an RB2000 or RB3000 arm on it but recently I had a brain fart and realized that the RP10 might really suit a unipivot arm! I'm properly considering trying it...

 

[Miss Ariel]

It will be an interesting experiment.I always associate a Rega with a Rega arm and never seen any Rega without a straight arm.
I am sure it's doable though.

 

[daytona600]

Vertere SG-1TA unipivot with rega Mtg

 

[Mr Pig]

Vertere SG-1TA unipivot with rega Mtg

You've done this? What is a Rega Mtg?

 

[daytona600]

REGA , LINN/JELCO & SME 3 most common mountings

 

[Darren L]

Any tonearm with Rega geometry and fitting size will work, I used a Hadcock 242 mounted on an original Rega Planar with wooden surround many years ago for a brief period, worked really well.

 

[Mr Pig]

REGA , LINN/JELCO & SME 3 most common mountings

Ah, lazy phone-speak for 'mounting'? ;0)

 

[dave charlton]

Nah, complete waste of time.

 

[daytona600]

https://www.hifiplus.com/articles/the-funk-firm-rage-1-modifications-to-rega-turntables/

 

[Seanm]

https://www.hifiplus.com/articles/the-funk-firm-rage-1-modifications-to-rega-turntables/

Yes, wouldn’t surprise me at all if a Funk FX-R worked very well on a Rega. Much better arm but doesn’t go against the light and rigid philosophy. In some ways it’s the arm they should have made: seems more of a piece with the modern skeletal design than the clunky old thing they’re still using.

 

[Mr Pig]

I was more thinking that a unipivot would compliment the dry sound of Regas top decks well. The warmth and liquidity of a unipivot with the tight, detailed sound of the deck might be a winning combo.

Or..it might not.

 

[Seanm]

I was more thinking that a unipivot would compliment the dry sound of Regas top decks well. The warmth and liquidity of a unipivot with the tight, detailed sound of the deck might be a winning combo.

Or..it might not.

Yes that makes sense. I really wish I’d tried the Nima on the RP6 when I had both. The RP6 was great for bite and bounce, and these were the only things missing from the Nima as far as I was concerned.

I guess they’d either complement each other’s strengths or cancel them out.

 

[Craig B]

Any tonearm with Rega geometry and fitting size will work, I used a Hadcock 242 mounted on an original Rega Planar with wooden surround many years ago for a brief period, worked really well.

I've seen a few old Planars with Hadcock tonearms fitted. One thing to be careful of is that the pivot to spindle mounting distance* of classic GH models is typically 212.85mm vs. 222mm for Rega, whereas, that of GH 242/242SE is 226mm. As the Hadcock mount is ø16mm vs. Rega's ø23mm (ø25mm on classic Planars to accommodate R200), the pivot to stylus difference needn't be a problem, however, one should take care to either position a GH pillar as tight to the spindle side of the existing Rega arm mounting hole as is possible, or, in the case of GH 242, as far away as is possible.

* With the obvious exceptions of the original Unipoise, Super Unipoise, and later Sound Tracer, GH model numbers were a reference to tonearm effective length.

 

[Woodface]

I think it’s a fools errand. The idea of Rega is for it to be fuss free, fit & forget.

Easier to just try another TT as the P10 will have a better resale value if kept whole.

Try a Well Tempered?

 

[Craig B]

As the laminate is so thin, I would assume that with the foam core skeletal plinths, the tonearm mounting screws would thread into the top brace, as well the laminate. That is, provided there aren't some hidden threaded anchors glued/screwed in (as are installed for the mounting of the feet beneath).

Regardless, I'd be extra careful to 'find' the existing threads when remounting an RB tonearm on one of these.

 

[Darren L]

I've seen a few old Planars with Hadcock tonearms fitted. One thing to be careful of is that the pivot to spindle mounting distance* of classic GH models is typically 212.85mm vs. 222mm for Rega, whereas, that of GH 242/242SE is 226mm. As the Hadcock mount is ø16mm vs. Rega's ø23mm (ø25mm on classic Planars to accommodate R200), the pivot to stylus difference needn't be a problem, however, one should take care to either position a GH pillar as tight to the spindle side of the existing Rega arm mounting hole as is possible, or, in the case of GH 242, as far away as is possible.

* With the obvious exceptions of the original Unipoise, Super Unipoise, and later Sound Tracer, GH model numbers were a reference to tonearm effective length.

Yeah, there's was no issue getting the geometry spot on when I used the GH242se on the old Rega, performed really well, like you say it needed to be mounted as far as possible from the spindle but worked out fine.

 

[Mr Pig]

As the laminate is so thin, I would assume that with the foam core skeletal plinths, the tonearm mounting screws would thread into the top brace, as well the laminate. That is, provided there aren't some hidden threaded anchors glued/screwed in.

The 10 has a magnesium top brace and a... I don't know what the bottom one is but there are threaded inserts between them that the arm bolts screw into. Not all arms could be fitted, even if the geometry is correct. Basically you're either using a big nut, like the old Rega arms, or the current three screws but that's it. There is no way to screw anything else to the plinth.