DIY Schroeder "Clone"

[Capt Zach]

Just finished a new Schroeder "clone." I had to make a lot of changes to the design, to make it easier to build, and to work with the local machine shop, which didnt push the limits of fine craftsmanship. Arm is cocobolo, soaked in alcohol overnight to remove natural oils, then soaked in several oils and put under pressure to hopefully be absorbed deep inside. This does make a subtle difference to the character of the wood, but perhaps not what is done on the real thing. Magnets are also smaller than on the real thing, they were the best thing I could find locally.

I don't know that these changes are for the good or the bad, but the sound is very good, very natural. The highs can be slightly harsh with the brass counterweight, before the weight was finished I used a simple socket to test it, sound was magical, but tracking wasn't reliable. I want to thank everybody on the forum and Frank Schroeder who was generous enough to throw us hints about how his creation worked.

[Capt Zach]

Another:

[Capt Zach]

And another:

[Capt Zach]

And yet another:

[analog_sa]

Looks wonderful. Are you prepared to reveal drawings?

[Capt Zach]

Right now, I just have a bunch of drawings for the machinist scattered around, so I will need to put something together. I'm also still tweaking/experimenting. In the meantime, if you have any specific questions, I can answer them.

[berlinta]

Hello Capt Zach,
Congrats on your project, I like the organic look of the headshell section in particular. I saw that you seem to be using solid core wiring(laquer insulated?). A slight harshness might be attributable to an accidental kink or simply the break in process(especially after resoldering headshell clips or RCA jacks).
The nylon/teflon/delrin(?) bushing in your counterweight has too thick a wall and the whole assembly will sound even better if you could get the counterweight a little closer to the pivot point. Then again, this would reduce the eff. mass and you might just be right where you want to be with a Lyra cart.

Greetings from Berlin,

Frank Schröder

[Capt Zach]

Frank,
Your kind words/suggestions mean a lot coming from the original designer. Your arms are truly great pieces of work. Part of the fun of DIY is experimenting and trying different ideas, so I'm still making changes and tweaking.

You're correct, the tonearm wire is simple solid core laquered copper wire I got from an old voice coil. I was going to replace it after I tested the arm with some fine Cardas wire, but the thought never crossed me about it possibly adding a bit of edge to the sound.

I have to admit, the counterweight design was one of the most challenging parts of this project. The final item came out a little lighter than I expected, so I'm planning on having the shop machine a new one. I've drilled out the nylon bushing and experimented with inserting some rubber in between the nylon and the stainless steel tube it slides on. I may make the next bushing out of hard rubber, maybe I can find some information about what's best.

Thanks,
Zach

[berlinta]

Hi Capt Zach,
I'd avoid rubber as a sleeve. If you have problems drilling the hole to the perfectly fitting diameter, just take a slightly smaller drill and then use an adjustable reamer. A Teflon sleeve will allow for a slack free fit while stiil enabling you to slide the counterweight against a reasonably low friction(before tightening the setscrew).
Good luck and

have a great weekend,

Frank

[Sella]

I am interested to build one for myself. Could you kindly publish your design so I would't have to start with nothing in my hands? It would be a great help.