Pete Riggle Woody tonearm

I am biased and have a vested interest in Pete's success, so bear this in mind if you choose to read further (I do not have any financial or business interest in VTAF, Woody or any other products of Pete Riggle Audio)...

Pete has been a very good and close friend for several years, so I've been privileged to see and hear the arm many times through it's development. Listening has been on a TD 124 and a Garrard 301. With each new development, it gets better. AND I'm not just saying this because I'm biased or because I have such a high regard for Pete. In fact, I love to remind him that he's a deaf old bastard just about every time I see him.

That being said, the arm is a work of art and it sounds wonderful. Actually, it really doesn't "sound" at all. I've heard the 9" and 12" versions and have been impressed by how readily they simply get out of the way. Music just flows on Pete's vinyl rigs, whether through his MONDO horn rig or his Beveridge 2SWs, no matter which phono stage he has in the system. Liquid, fast, natural, dynamic, propulsive and stable with an ultra quiet noise floor are descriptions that come to mind. My only complaint is that I don't have one.

Construction is all by hand with an elegant design, gorgeous hard wood arm wands and impeccable metal work. In direct comparison to ultra -fi arms like the Ikeda or Shroeder, Pete's is in the same league and has every bit as much mojo. And believe me, I don't want to give the guy any compliments. They'll just go to his head.

Harry Z
(formerly of Two Bald Guys Audio)

Lovely and unique tonearm. I heard it with a lowly Shure M97 and felt it delivered
solid musicality. Would love to hear it with a first class moving coil. Here is a video I shot last month showing the master with his creation. The 2Sw speakers are also a wonder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTt5_AydmxE&feature=related

You guys are making me feel good. I just bought a pair of 2SWs, just because I could not resist. They are on the way. I need to talk to Pete about them, I think.

From photos, it looks like the headshell could rotate to any offset angle, since it is held in place by only a single screw. Does Pete provide a guide for setting the offset angle? After owning a Reed tonearm and after hearing a Talea in my neighbor's system (Yes, Reed and Talea in two different homes on the same block in Bethesda, MD), I have come to wonder whether there is something special about wood per se as a tonearm material.

I have a friend in Seattle who owns a talea arm. It would be interesting to compare these two very different arms.
Don't know about setting the offset angle. You might just want to contact the master and ask. He is quite a nice gentleman.

R