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Tonearms - SME 3012, Jelco, or Schick?

I am looking at buying a long, 12" or so, tonearm.  The the SME 3012, Jelco 750L, and Thomas Schick tonearms has caught my eye.  Any thoughts or experiences anyone would like to share on these units?  They are all in the 1000 to 2000 $ price range and I will be mounting a modern mc cartridge on it.

128x128spatialking
markmoskow
45 posts
 

I have an SME that I liked with a Benz Glider, but prefer the Jelco 850L if you find one, especially with the adjustable VTA for it. Using it with a Benz Ruby H, and have been happy for several year..

bpoletti
1,556 posts
 

If you can be lucky enough to find a Jelco TK-850L, jump on it.  It was the last generation Jelco and is quite good.  Earlier Jelcos are lesser performers, but the better ones are OK.

pryso
1,947 posts
 

A caution on the MS 505 arms for anyone considering one.  I agree they can provide very good and convenient performance, but one thing to watch for.

When I got mine the stub beyond the pivot point where the counterweight mounts was not in the same plane as the arm tube itself.  A search online was not helpful as some reported that was normal.  Some online photos even showed the droop.

So I sent the arm to a trusted repair service (sadly no longer available) who confirmed it was not uncommon but not normal.  They were able to repair it so the  stub is now on the same plane as the arm tube.

 

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