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Arm for LP12 project

V

vinyl_paul

pfm Member
A few months ago I bought my first LP12 from Tony.
Need PSU (already working on that) and it needs an arm.

I have a TD-150 with an SME-3009 II imp on it, and I could try that on the LP12 but the prices are so silly I might just sell that!

If I sold the 3009 I was thinking of an RB250 or RB300 for the LP12. Any thoughts on that?
Other similar suggestions welcome.
I would like to try a Linn arm but they seem to go for silly money as well?
 
Agree that while the SME arm on the LP12 was popular in the early-mid 1970s, it fell out of favour after that. The Rega arms are a good match, as are the black LVX/Basik arms and their variants (generally available for a decent price).
 
I think anything with a 'Linn' mount or a "Rega' mount would be worth investigating. SME arms caused issues with some plinths. Although, in the day, the Linn / Rega combo wasn't considered as 'compatible' I suspect that was marketing to disguise the fact that the RB300 did what the Ittok did at a lower price.
So, if budget is important, an OEM Rega arm off eBay would do nicely. I fitted an Akai (RB250) to mine to sell the deck and was surprised how well it all worked. I used an Origin Live LP12/Rega armboard as it was the cheapest available at the time.
 
Thanks Guys.
Having done some more reading (and looked at the prices of an Ittok!) I think I will try for an RB300 or RB 250 to compare with the SME.
Even that opens another can of worms.
RB250 vs RB300 with and without OL upgrade - you can see why digital is so attractive :)
 
If you can find a nice Mission 774 they go great on an LP12, in fact they go well on anything in my experience! Not a fan of any of the Rega arms but you might as well try one as they're easy to get hold of.
 
If you were interested in a Linn Akito that’s had a bearing overhaul by Johnny at AO you could PM. And I also have both an RB250 or RB251, non fettled!
 
A Nima works really well on an LP12. I went from full origin live upgraded RB300 to a Nima and it was a very worthwhile upgrade.
 
@RingeRaja Thanks for that!!
I have acquired an Ittok and I am waiting for a new lead from Johnnie at AudioOrigami before installing
And I have a lovely fettled RB250 to try as well
 
vinyl_paul said:
@RingeRaja Thanks for that!!
I have acquired an Ittok and I am waiting for a new lead from Johnnie at AudioOrigami before installing
And I have a lovely fettled RB250 to try as well
Click to expand...
Keep in mind that Linn and Rega tonearms require different arm board drilling to accommodate each maker's arm geometry (Linn mounting distance is 211mm vs. Rega at 222mm, plus different holes sizes, number of holes, countersunk bolt holes, etc.).

Another consideration is that remounting an existing Linn arm board tends to weaken the 3 mounting holes, as these boards are simply fastened with small wood screws into fibreboard.
 
I've had loads of arms on the LP12 over the years and I'm not that keen on the Rega or Basik options tbh. As should be expected, the Ittok LVII works well, but if you want to try something different on a limited budget, then look out for a used Audiomods; they are Rega mount and work very well on the Linn.
 
I’d go with the Ittok LVII as my arm of choice. The LVX didn’t ever cut the mustard with me and felt and sounded lightweight. I also used a Origin Live Silver Mk2 and that was a decent arm on my LP12.
 
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