I purchased a Technics SL1100 turntable few months ago as something to do while unemployed and waiting for a new job to come along. I have about 350 or 400 LP's and thought this would be nice TT to use for listening to my old albums. The dustcover had a deep scratch on the inside of the top surface that my guess is that slipped off the while playing and the platter/LP put a nice groove on the inside surface. With a lot of work I sanded and polished the groove out. Also polished other scratches out of the cover surfaces and got rid of fine surface scratches and oxidation on some of the other surfaces. Additionally landed a job I start August 12th.
The only thing I'm not happy about are the fine scratches I found on the S-shaped Tonearm tube. I'm kind of compulsive about my stuff and like to have things of mine to be as perfect as possible.
I understand finding a EPA-100 Tonearm in perfect or close to like new condition so I've thought that perhaps an SL-1200 Tonearm would be a good substitute. Or maybe a Rega RB300 Tonearm.
Would a new or like new SL1200 or RB300 Tonearm may be the best alternative? If I chose to go that route would I absolutely need a new or replacement arm board or would making an adapter work? I'm thinking perhaps that would work but I've been told a new arm board is necessary no questions asked. Is this true?
Any questions or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you....Blake.
The only thing I'm not happy about are the fine scratches I found on the S-shaped Tonearm tube. I'm kind of compulsive about my stuff and like to have things of mine to be as perfect as possible.
I understand finding a EPA-100 Tonearm in perfect or close to like new condition so I've thought that perhaps an SL-1200 Tonearm would be a good substitute. Or maybe a Rega RB300 Tonearm.
Would a new or like new SL1200 or RB300 Tonearm may be the best alternative? If I chose to go that route would I absolutely need a new or replacement arm board or would making an adapter work? I'm thinking perhaps that would work but I've been told a new arm board is necessary no questions asked. Is this true?
Any questions or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you....Blake.
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As an update...
I haven't disassembled the turntable only because it seems to be playing just fine with the EPA-110 Tonearm that it came with. I was mistaken in the Tonearm model. Sorry. Anyway...as I said the Tonearm tube has fine scratches. I see I can purchase brand new SL-1200 tonearms for a relatively. Low price on eBay. I understand I'll probably need a new arm board. And I'll need to drill, bore or machine it for the new Tonearm as well. The base has some fine scratches that I touched up with a sharpie marker.
I'm thinking that to be thorough I should at least open it up and see how things look inside...though its performing flawlessly. I though if I did disassemble it while in the whole process I'd probably refinish the base. Either by painting it or powder coating it.
And I'd finish polishing the platter and strobe dots to remove all the oxidation and pitting.
Suggestions please?
I haven't disassembled the turntable only because it seems to be playing just fine with the EPA-110 Tonearm that it came with. I was mistaken in the Tonearm model. Sorry. Anyway...as I said the Tonearm tube has fine scratches. I see I can purchase brand new SL-1200 tonearms for a relatively. Low price on eBay. I understand I'll probably need a new arm board. And I'll need to drill, bore or machine it for the new Tonearm as well. The base has some fine scratches that I touched up with a sharpie marker.
I'm thinking that to be thorough I should at least open it up and see how things look inside...though its performing flawlessly. I though if I did disassemble it while in the whole process I'd probably refinish the base. Either by painting it or powder coating it.
And I'd finish polishing the platter and strobe dots to remove all the oxidation and pitting.
Suggestions please?
Hi
I suspect you'd be disappointed if you replaced the EPA-100 arm with an SL-1200 arm. The latter is a fairly cheap device, and quite resonant, though the bearings are said to be good (when new). It's really intended as a spare part for the SL-1200 deck, so it would be more difficult to fit to another deck than an arm marketed as a stand-alone. It would require more than just a different arm board.
The arm you have is much more sophisticated than the stock SL-1200 arm in all respects. Wouldn't it be better to have that titanium arm tube refinished if the scratches really bother you?
The RB300 is very good on its own terms (I've used one), but is a completely different type of arm and more difficult to adjust, particularly for VTA, though it does come equipped for fitting to any compatible armboard.
BTW, if the deck is working perfectly, taking it apart might do more harm than good if the circuit boards were disturbed. Cleaning up and refinishing are another matter, of course.
HTH
Mark
I suspect you'd be disappointed if you replaced the EPA-100 arm with an SL-1200 arm. The latter is a fairly cheap device, and quite resonant, though the bearings are said to be good (when new). It's really intended as a spare part for the SL-1200 deck, so it would be more difficult to fit to another deck than an arm marketed as a stand-alone. It would require more than just a different arm board.
The arm you have is much more sophisticated than the stock SL-1200 arm in all respects. Wouldn't it be better to have that titanium arm tube refinished if the scratches really bother you?
The RB300 is very good on its own terms (I've used one), but is a completely different type of arm and more difficult to adjust, particularly for VTA, though it does come equipped for fitting to any compatible armboard.
BTW, if the deck is working perfectly, taking it apart might do more harm than good if the circuit boards were disturbed. Cleaning up and refinishing are another matter, of course.
HTH
Mark
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On closer inspection...
Hi
I see now that the EPA-110 is quite different from the EPA-100, and doesn't look anything special. Indeed, it's a rather odd, awkward-looking design in some ways. I still think the SL-1200's arm, though an economical option, would be tricky to fit. You'd need to buy the 'below-deck' parts that connect the internal arm wiring to an output cable, or devise your own arrangements, as the arm doesn't come with a fixed or detachable cable to connect to the phono stage. But then, maybe the EPA-110 doesn't either. In that case, perhaps a 'grafting' operation would be possible!
The RB300, BTW, might not appeal to someone who requires a peerless surface finish, as you clearly do. Rega haven't devoted much attention to this except with their top arms, preferring to focus on the engineering content. The ground-breaking diecast arm tube is not free from moulding marks in places, and the powder-coat finish isn't always flawless either.
How about a nice, beautifully-finished Jelco arm instead? I admit it would be more expensive.
HTH
Mark
Hi
I see now that the EPA-110 is quite different from the EPA-100, and doesn't look anything special. Indeed, it's a rather odd, awkward-looking design in some ways. I still think the SL-1200's arm, though an economical option, would be tricky to fit. You'd need to buy the 'below-deck' parts that connect the internal arm wiring to an output cable, or devise your own arrangements, as the arm doesn't come with a fixed or detachable cable to connect to the phono stage. But then, maybe the EPA-110 doesn't either. In that case, perhaps a 'grafting' operation would be possible!
The RB300, BTW, might not appeal to someone who requires a peerless surface finish, as you clearly do. Rega haven't devoted much attention to this except with their top arms, preferring to focus on the engineering content. The ground-breaking diecast arm tube is not free from moulding marks in places, and the powder-coat finish isn't always flawless either.
How about a nice, beautifully-finished Jelco arm instead? I admit it would be more expensive.
HTH
Mark
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As I said in my second post I realized I have the odd shaped EPA-110 Tonearm.
I see the prices for the Jelco tonearms aren't too high really. Are lowest cost tonearms really not worth considering or would the tonearms that are at the next price level up be a. Better choice?
To be honest I've never installed a Tonearm before but I figured that I'm capable of learning since I work on all kinds of mechanical things from motorcycles to robotics integration. So how how hard is Tonearm installation?
Thanks...Blake
I see the prices for the Jelco tonearms aren't too high really. Are lowest cost tonearms really not worth considering or would the tonearms that are at the next price level up be a. Better choice?
To be honest I've never installed a Tonearm before but I figured that I'm capable of learning since I work on all kinds of mechanical things from motorcycles to robotics integration. So how how hard is Tonearm installation?
Thanks...Blake
To fit the SL-1200 arm (and also the Rega RB300 and other fixed-position arms) you must mount it at the correct distance from the spindle, precisely (the mounting distance is unique for each arm, though many have similar specs). The platter on the SL-1100 has an extra apron that contains the dots for the strobe, which makes it larger than most platters (which is usually a bit over 12"). This could make the mounting of the SL-1200 arm problematic, as it has a relatively large mounting base, and it may not be possible to mount the arm where you need to. You may need need to get a new arm board, as the original metal arm board already has a mounting hole (also, removing the EPA-110 will leave empty holes where the arm rest and lift lever used to be, which can be an eyesore, aesthetically).
As for the connections on the SL-1200 arm (if it can be fitted), there is a tag strip inside that can be re-used, and to which you may be able to solder the arm wires. I guess at this stage it is best you take a look under the hood to see for yourself (just the arm board; there's nothing else you need to worry about, IMO). Just a caution, though: when removing the bolts which hold the arm board, make sure you use a flat screw driver that fits the slots perfectly, as the brass heads are easily damaged.
As for the connections on the SL-1200 arm (if it can be fitted), there is a tag strip inside that can be re-used, and to which you may be able to solder the arm wires. I guess at this stage it is best you take a look under the hood to see for yourself (just the arm board; there's nothing else you need to worry about, IMO). Just a caution, though: when removing the bolts which hold the arm board, make sure you use a flat screw driver that fits the slots perfectly, as the brass heads are easily damaged.
Hi
There's normally a mounting template provided with these arms, showing the size of hole needed and its position, plus instructions for mounting. The template would also show any other holes required for mounting, and the dimensions of the arm base. The Jelco arms use the 3-bolt "Linn" fixing, but their models come in various lengths.
As Shaun says, above, you need to make sure the arm mounting doesn't foul the outer edge of the platter. The key measurement is the "pivot-to-spindle" one - the distance between the spindle in the centre of the record and the pivot-point of the arm. For the stock EPA-110 this is 221 millimetres, close to the standard Rega mounting-point (222 mm).
The Jelco SA-250ST (the straight, black tonearm) needs to be mounted 210 mm from the spindle, so might be a tight fit on your deck. The SA-750D top-of-the-range arm should be mounted at 214 mm distance. There are mounting templates for both in the Library section of the Vinyl Engine website that you could download and print for a trial fitting. The SA-750 is available as a 10-inch and a 12-inch arm too, and these would be mounted further out.
Vinyl Engine also has a full set of manuals (including service and circuit schematic) for the SL-1100. You just need to register (free) to access these.
HTH
Mark
There's normally a mounting template provided with these arms, showing the size of hole needed and its position, plus instructions for mounting. The template would also show any other holes required for mounting, and the dimensions of the arm base. The Jelco arms use the 3-bolt "Linn" fixing, but their models come in various lengths.
As Shaun says, above, you need to make sure the arm mounting doesn't foul the outer edge of the platter. The key measurement is the "pivot-to-spindle" one - the distance between the spindle in the centre of the record and the pivot-point of the arm. For the stock EPA-110 this is 221 millimetres, close to the standard Rega mounting-point (222 mm).
The Jelco SA-250ST (the straight, black tonearm) needs to be mounted 210 mm from the spindle, so might be a tight fit on your deck. The SA-750D top-of-the-range arm should be mounted at 214 mm distance. There are mounting templates for both in the Library section of the Vinyl Engine website that you could download and print for a trial fitting. The SA-750 is available as a 10-inch and a 12-inch arm too, and these would be mounted further out.
Vinyl Engine also has a full set of manuals (including service and circuit schematic) for the SL-1100. You just need to register (free) to access these.
HTH
Mark
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