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Do wooden arms warp

I hate to sound stupid or pedantic, but I have historically done a lot of woodwork - turning/routering/bedmaking. The single biggest problem is locating wood that does not warp.
Wood cut and left to settle over 50 years continue to warp, likewise, even very old wood warps as well. In my experience when a piece is smaller/thinner it is more pronounced unless there is some lamination (not always a cure). I am yet to come across or find a treatment which stops warping. It would be nice if a manufacturer of such an arm chimes in on this thread, because arms such as: Durand, Shroder, Reed etc all have wood arms/options and they really are the most expensive arms out there.
lohanimal
mordante
511 posts
 
Lewn,

Carbon and cermic arm can sound great as well. It is not the material it is the implimentation. But I agree with you. Reed arms can sound great. But I wonder how much influence the type of wood has. Reed has lots of options on finish and wood type.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,684 posts
 
In 1972 I was at Audio Arts in Livermore, CA, the new hi-fi shop of Walt Davies, now of Last fame. Walt was just becoming an Audio Research dealer, and Bill Johnson was at the shop, delivering and setting up a complete ARC system. SP-3 pre-amp, D-51 and D-75 amps bi-amped on Magneplanar I-U's. The source was a Thorens TD-125 Mk.II with a Decca Blue cartridge, and the arm was Bill's prototype, which never went into production. It was a flat piece of wood, maybe 1" wide by 1/4-1/2" thick (if I remember correctly), like the old Grado. I paid for one when I bought my whole system from Walt, but had to settle for a Decca Unipivot when the ARC never materialized.
tonywinsc
583 posts
 
We talk a lot about positioning of the stylus in the record groove with utmost precision and accuracy- as in microns. It's hard to imagine a wooden tone arm holding a set up for more than a few hours. Maybe it can be more dimensionally stable if it is heavily varnished; but then it is no longer a purely wooden arm. Perhaps there are those who do not mind reviewing set up periodically to have that special sound that they want. Certain air bearing linear arms need periodic maintainence to remain at top performance.
czarivey
5,904 posts
 
they definitely age and even warp despite of implementation quality. 40...50 years vintage wood arms by no means can match the quality of ones made of metal or aluminium back then.

there's also nothing wrong using or not using tubes which is only upto consumer. i like lots of power and control where tubes are either inefficient or make no sense at all. it all comes from speakers you want to listen and than match the proper amp weather it's tube or transistor.
lohanimal OP
659 posts
 
In response to Lewm - I was not having a pop at wooden arms, and my post was in essence inquisitorial as to what people have experienced. In other words I am surprised as to the heated nature of your response. I see the point that cartridges wear out (although they can be re-tipped) likewise other components as well, but I am umming and ahhing about a super arm like a Schroeder LT or a Durand, and it is in pursuance of this that I made the post.
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