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Tonearm recomendations

I am doing a diy plinth project with a Rek o kut B12. I would like to know about tonearm length and where too short or too long comes into play. I would also like to know about wood arms.
Any experience would be greatly appreciative. I need to stay under 400.00 us new or used.

Thanks
fordmod
patrickamory
193 posts
 
We're not saying a tonearm is a tonearm... just that with your turntable you should be able to mount any arm that you want.

My personal faves are the 12" arms based on the classic designs of the '60s... original Ortofons or SMEs, or more recently Shindo and EMT. You could also try Ikeda if you like a more modern sound.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

11-30-07: Patrickamory
...My personal faves are the 12" arms based on the classic designs of the '60s... original Ortofons or SMEs, or more recently Shindo and EMT. You could also try Ikeda if you like a more modern sound.
I think a 12" arm for a Rek-O-Kut has a certain poetic rightness about it.
fordmod OP
30 posts
 
Patrickamory,

I am seeking a tonearm that will have a classic look and cohesiveness with the Rek o kut, and deliver the sound quality that this super heavy plinth table should be capable of.(if i do my home work correctly)
With respect to length what is the advantage of the 12" over shorter arms?
The way I see this project is to find a shorter arm that mounts on the platform like the original, or get long arm and mount on plinth. the first one giving a more classic look, but this may not be the best option for ultimate performance.

Thanks
phill
38 posts
 
Hello, I am going through the same thing, I bought a Rek O kut B-12GH and will build a plinth. Ideally, I would like to find an arm that would be a drop in replacement, I need to go to vinyl.engine before I start enlarging the existing hole. I have read conflicting reports as to what is best when it comes to mounting the arm, top plate mounting vs plinth mounting. It has been suggested that the table can be mounted in the plinth by turning the table so the top of the top plate is now located on the side where the arm is usually located and the arm is then easily mounted in the plinth, hope that makes sense. My table came with a ROK arm but it had some problems and the bearings are really sloppy. I may go for a Rega and enlarge the existing hole to get the correct spindle to bearing dimensions, plus the arm is cheap and can be upgraded. One of the important things when building one of these tables is to get the Idler wheel rebuilt by Ed Crocket at Vintage Electonics, total cost is approx. $30.00. I want to build up the table first and listen to it then have the Idler wheel rebuilt to see what the improvement is. What materials are you going to use for the plinth? Another site with good info is Roktips. Good luck.

Phill
fordmod OP
30 posts
 
Phill,
Great to hear form you!
I know about turning the deck 90 deg. but I am really seeking a look and feel that prevents this. There are some arms the can be mounted to the orininal location with some minor work. I am also considering more drastic mods to that corner area, or applying some yankee engineering to make it look more like it integrates into the deck and plinth if using a longer arm. I really like the look of the deck and want to compliment this.
I am using birch ply and mdf (free scrap from a cabinet shop next door to our shop), very econmical. I would like to end up around 50 to 60 lbs or even greater. I am also going to do a 3 layer platform under the the plinth, ply,mdf,ply.

Keep me informed of your journey also.
Thanks
Ed
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