Tonearm ...... Acos Lustre GST-801 ..... Yea/Nay

3 must have moderate priced tonearm for any of us in my opinion.

It took a while to find a NOS, properly working sample of Lustre GST-801 for my collection (with two counterweights and additional ringweight included), previous used sample was ok, but magnetic drive, anti-skating and armlift were all defective, so make sure you’re buyin’ a working sample and pay attention to that! Normally a perfect samples goes for over $1k. If the price is lower there could be some problems, i paid just about $500 for my ex used sample, but i was happy to pay twice for a NOS later on. I’ve been using a very nice Audio Craft headshells with my Lustre. The rigweight is on, look. There must be a huge and superheavy arm stabilizer from beneath. This tonearm originally silver wired. The VTA on the fly is great, the armpipe is stainless steel. It can be used with various cartridges ONLY if you have Lustre unique counterweights (two of them, different weight) and a ring. Finding any parts separately is almost impossible. 

@ elliottbnewcombjr

Lustre 801 is tonearm for MC heavy not for MM medium or high compilance.

@chakster 

Can you name which cartridges models you use with Epa 100?

Lustre 801 is tonearm for MC heavy not for MM medium or high compilance.

Not really, it is very flexible with a choice of cartridges, but as i said to use higher compliance MM one need a lighweight counterweight and lightweight headshell. The stock headshell is very light. 

Two Lustre counterweight looks almost identical, but they are different in weight (look at the manual). 

The arm is fine for Mid Compliance cartridges, on my pictures you can see a very rare Pioneer PC-1000 mkII (MM) cartridge on it. 

To use MC one must add not only a higher mass counterweight, but also a high mass hingweight, then it can be used even for SPU or FR-7f i;ve been using on it too. 

Can you name which cartridges models you use with Epa 100?

Well, actually i upgraded from EPA-100 to the EPA-100 mkII.

On my ex EPA-100 i’ve been using those rare Technics cartridges most of the time. Also the ZYX Airy III and Premium 4D LOMC on LIVE18 headshell for some time too.

When i bought a NOS epa-100 again this year i’ve tried it with my favorite Grace LEVEL II (Sapphire) a cheaper Victor X-1IIe also was very impressive on this arm.