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Decca Professional Pick-up Arm - Info wanted

C

Covkxw

pfm Member
Hi folks,

I'm inheriting one of the above shortly and know absolutely nothing about them, except it was purchased new in 1971 and was a predecessor to the Decca London 'International' arm. I'm interested in a specification (eg. effective length etc), but alot more interested in any special features (it has) as well as what it can and can't do with cartridges.

Really looking foreward to anything you can tell me.

Thanks (in anticipation),
Keith.
 
IIRC it can take a Decca FFSS cart and nothing else as it has a proprietary clip-on mounting system. The FFSS was a forerunner of the London and uses the same principals, it is arguably an even better cart as the body is bakelite rather than a tin can like the London, so less resonant. When well setup and on a sympathetic record it can sound stunning, there is nothing more dynamic and 'edge of seat' than a good Decca, but don't expect it to track well or cope gracefully at end of side on lengthy disks. If you have a deck that can take two arms then it makes a great deal of sense, but as a single arm / cart forget it IMO. Assuming it has the FFSS cart with it you should be able to get it re-tipped, it is a cult item!

Tony.
 
Thanks Tony, mine has 'skeletal' headshell, a little like on a Hadcock arm. It also has a spirit level over the pivot? Perhaps its not the Professional model then?
 
Covkxw said:
Thanks Tony, mine has 'skeletal' headshell, a little like on a Hadcock arm. It also has a spirit level over the pivot? Perhaps its not the Professional model then?
Click to expand...

Is it a unipivot? The FFSS / Professional was a very simple fixed bearing design, the unis are the London / International.

Tony.
 
Tony, yes you are correct, it does appear to be a uni-pivot. Similar in looks to the later London International, but has different head shell and neither the fine adjusting screw for the counter-weight nor the lateral balance adjusting screw (housed in the counter-weight).

Tony L said:
Is it a unipivot? The FFSS / Professional was a very simple fixed bearing design, the unis are the London / International.

Tony.
Click to expand...
 
You have the Decca International Arm. The later, modified version, which I own, was known as the Decca London International Arm. The reason the US site has a hefty asking price comes down to availability. The picture offerred by RABBIT came from a site that used to sell the 'London' arm at a really cheap price - no longer. The earlier arm which you have differs in a few important characteristics: The pillar carrying the internal magnets, pivot etc., is longer on the early version, thus making it difficult to mount on turntables where height is limited. The eccentric counterweight could be tricky to set accurately to obtain correct azimuth at the headshell (Unipivots..aarrgggh!) - later version has clever fix. Also the spirit level was moved from atop the pillar to the headshell (more accurate ?). Some have had success mounting exotic cartridges in these arms. Particularly the low compliance Decca London range -aided by use of the damping fluid. I'm about to attempt to run a never used Garrott Bros modified Decca London Gold w/Weinz Parabolic stylus in mine on a TD125 (crosses fingers and chooses replaceable vinyl)! You will have an interesting time for no money!
 
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