I got on the phone with SOTA to talk about refurbished turntables. Had a few nice conversations with Christan and we talked about my stereo upgrade plan, the room and my listening habits and tastes. Turns out they have one rosewood Sapphire III ready to get refurbished. We talked about my budget and Christan gave me some options, so I pulled the trigger. It's going to get Series IV electronics, Rega 330 tonearm and a Hana cartridge, which will keep it in my budget. It should be ready in January. I enjoyed working with Christan and am excited to get a SOTA turntable after 30+ years of pining for one.
Good deal! Awesome that you get a 3 chassis with that exotic wood - they used some really beautiful woods back then. On the flip side - SOTA's tech, engineering, and materials quality for inside the chassis took a HUGE leap forward when Christan came onboard a few years back. They were somewhat stagnant for a long time before that. You're in good hands!