Nude Turntable Project

Welcome Thuchan,
It's always good to have you drop by.
I know you've been busy with your own Project (horn speakers I believe?) but you were responsible for me getting the Fidelity Research FR-64s arm and after hearing how great it was, I wasted no time in obtaining it's big brother the FR-66s.
You of course discovered the joys of great 'vintage' analogue gear long ago (how many RX-5000 turntables do you now have?..............five?!!!!!) just as other dedicated audiophiles have like Cuong Pham in Vietnam who has 4 or 5 Thorens Reference turntables in every colour available?
So I'm quite surprised that you have not progressed onto the great vintage MM cartridges especially when you've had the Empire 4000D/III for 3 months now? Just mount it in your FR-66s and you will see what all the fuss is about?
Yes, now that I have the Victor TT-81 with my own arm-pods, I am able to mount any arm I can obtain. Who knows what the future will hold?
Good luck with your own Project.

Dear David,
As Ecir38 mentioned, a lot of your answers are to be found in earlier postings where the arm-pods are shown in the 'raw' cast form with all the holes and cable entry points clearly visible but re-cap:-
1) Aluminium is too light and mild steel is magnetic. I needed to make sure that the arm-pods could not be easily moved once the geometry of each arm had been established. I investigated machining stainless steel, brass and bronze but they all need up costing about $2000 each, so I went for casting (either brass or bronze) and bronze is cast here in foundries on four out of five days of the week compared to limited casting of brass.
2) Arm-Pods are solid except for 55mm diam hole in the centre to accommodate all the arms I could think of?
3) See previous photos.
4) I just meant to make sure the table was level by using packers under one or more Tip-Toes.
5) Yes the shelf is 33mm thick laminated particle board.
6) Not practicable. Apart from all my running around to organize, the height of the pods are determined by the height of the turntable you are using.
SME recommends that the mounting height of the arm is 41mm below the level of the platter although most modern arm are mounted 30-35mm below the platter.
I found that with vintage arms, a height of 47-48mm below the platter allows for more flexibility in getting the arms level.
7) Screwed spikes were drilled and tapped into the bottom of each pod. The are chrome plated brass and are leveled by screwing in and out.

Sorry I can't be more helpful but you are really asking me for my 'intellectual property' which took me 3 months to design and have fabricated.
Good luck.

Thanks Halcro,
you are right, I got the Empire thanks to your advice and I will have it mounted like you recommended - Xmas lies ahead of us! Maybe I am a bit reluctant to compare new cartridges after having sold my Grand Slamm. Now I know how good this loudspeaker was.
Nevertheless when I received my latest master tape from The Tape Project ( little hatch - rock with my baby) and I did listen to "Baby please don't go" I realized that the sound is still acceptable...
It is wonderful to have many options, in analogue as well as in life. With my second home bases now in Vietnam I am getting closer to you. :-)

Dear Halcro,

First, an apology: I thought I had seen the whole thread, pictures included. You and Ecir38 were right in sending me back to the listing: I've seen your entire posting again, now with all the pictures, and have much better information than when I asked my questions. Sorry to have been hasty.

Even so, you answered the remaining questions thoroughly and I feel sufficiently equipped to delve into trying a nude setup of my own, thanks to your generosity and Raul's gentle prodding.

Thank you again, so very much, for sharing your hard-won intellectual property. When I try to recreate your success I will certainly credit you and Raul for the work, most gratefully.

with Very Best Wishes, and for Happy Holidays,

David Kellogg

Dear Halcro,
Came late to this discussion but kudos to the review. Ever since I read Raul's piece about nude turntable, I have tried it on my Rek-O-Kut idler turntable and I am very much amazed at what I am hearing. I have the turntable placed on bricks. It looks ugly but the music is beautiful. Any chance you want to try an idler turntable if you have a spare ?
Thanks for confirming what I have been hearing with my stock idler turntable.