Hi everyone, I have recently bought an old banged up Rega P2 and was hoping to try a new build.
I thought it might be good to try a P8 (P10) clone, with the new shape base and a rewired / silver RB250 arm.
I have details of how to remove the black paint from the arm and a template to drill holes in the arm and rewire. What I don't have is a detailed size / cutting shape for the base.
Is there anyone who could help me with this please?
Thanks
Geordie
I thought it might be good to try a P8 (P10) clone, with the new shape base and a rewired / silver RB250 arm.
I have details of how to remove the black paint from the arm and a template to drill holes in the arm and rewire. What I don't have is a detailed size / cutting shape for the base.
Is there anyone who could help me with this please?
Thanks
Geordie
I think you have to focus on bearing, sub platter , platter and motor first . It will be really easier and possibly cheaper to source higher end rega table with those shortcomings tackled to experiment with plinth.
Assuming you mean the hole size and location for the arm pillar, I found an old template file: https://web.archive.org/web/20100524135329/http://www.audiomods.co.uk/mountingTemplate.pdf
jeff
People with P2's frequently upgrade to P3 platters, as P3 enjoyers upgrade to P6 platters. When I did the latter, I noticed a huge improvement in "midrange pull". If it weren't so disgustingly expensive to mail a platter, I'd offer mine.
I am tweaking my beloved Planar 2 for over 3 decades... it has nothing left untouched but the plinth, that is a kind of subchassis now... I tried some $$$ TT offerings but now for me the limiting factor is clearly the vinyl press quality for the kind of music I listen to, so I don't regret my tweaking journey and money spent over the years. Plus some tweaks as subplatter or platter are easily reversible and could always be sold again if I would fancy it (arm wires less so of course LOL)
Yes, changing the cables makes a small difference, but it is a lot of hassle for a small improvement. And I am running solid wires with a few tenth of mm diameter without any solid isolation around of them (isolation is paintthick like for transformers, nearly no resistance to twist for the arm LOL), in one go from cartridge to preamp input / RCA plug in, of course running into emptied coax shields from the base of the Rega on to tge preamp. I have also seperate grounds for R and L, so 2 other cables, and not the ground running "with the L shield" à la Rega...
As said, little improvement, and what I listened to 20y ago re simple arm rewiring with super dooper wires, or silver whatever cables, sounded different... but not necessarly better or quite maginaly so.
What did a MASSIVE difference though, were:
Of course Delrin platter with high inertia, offset CW, feet, belts, clamp, decoupled plinth, metal pulleys, ajusted arm bearing, platter bearing system, arm tensing bolt Armageddon PS, even mains filter etc. etc. (can't remember it all!) all made a difference - most more than the rewiring BTW - but the 2 modifications I listed above were by far IME the biggest steps forward (huge) for relatively small money / hassle. and they are reversible, even easy to try considering the subplatter.
All IMHO and IME
Good luck
Claude
Yes, changing the cables makes a small difference, but it is a lot of hassle for a small improvement. And I am running solid wires with a few tenth of mm diameter without any solid isolation around of them (isolation is paintthick like for transformers, nearly no resistance to twist for the arm LOL), in one go from cartridge to preamp input / RCA plug in, of course running into emptied coax shields from the base of the Rega on to tge preamp. I have also seperate grounds for R and L, so 2 other cables, and not the ground running "with the L shield" à la Rega...
As said, little improvement, and what I listened to 20y ago re simple arm rewiring with super dooper wires, or silver whatever cables, sounded different... but not necessarly better or quite maginaly so.
What did a MASSIVE difference though, were:
- subplatter, I have the Tango Spinner one (now called tng-spinner, I believe they offer kits from bearing to clamp including platter and subplatter, and pulleys and belts, so all simple reversible swaps/tweaks to try/compare and usualy good VFM)
- offboard motor (DIY ages ago, but there are guys offering kits for that somewhere)
Of course Delrin platter with high inertia, offset CW, feet, belts, clamp, decoupled plinth, metal pulleys, ajusted arm bearing, platter bearing system, arm tensing bolt Armageddon PS, even mains filter etc. etc. (can't remember it all!) all made a difference - most more than the rewiring BTW - but the 2 modifications I listed above were by far IME the biggest steps forward (huge) for relatively small money / hassle. and they are reversible, even easy to try considering the subplatter.
All IMHO and IME
Good luck
Claude
Thank you for your advice and positive comments Limono. Very helpful, but I am stuck as to where to look.
Do you think a P6 would be the starting point.
Regards
Geordie
I built my own table from a Rega 303 arm, Rega 6 glass platter. TangoSpinner subplatter. Motor is a 3-phase BLDC 12V NEMA23 style motor from Anaheim Automation. And motor power supply is a 3-phase sine wave generator base on a ST Micro microcontroller and motor driver daughterboard.
Yes. I started with round belts, but did not like them. They had too much rid up and down the subplatter, especially the silicone ones.
I got vastly better performance out of flat belts. Because I have my own motor controller, I can easily adjust the speed for whatever pulley/belt combo gave me the best performance. Flat bets have better grip on the subplatter.
I am also planning to build an outboard motor setup. I have a couple additional BLDC motors, including a 24pole gimbal motor with an encoder, so I can try closed loop speed control. That would use a flat belt looped around the platter itself, much like the VPI tables.
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208 mm IIRC, ¾” hole(?)
I really like the Rega, i have a modded Rega 2 with a Linn Back arm. If i won the lottery i would get one of the hi-end Rega.
The philosophy into keep the connection between bearing and tonearm shoud be really rigid, and the base shoud be really low mass for minimum energynstorage. Be creative.
This Connisuer BD1 project might provide some inspiration.
dave
Standard Rega arm mounting has always been 222mm. Pretty handy as a Grace 707 is pretty much the same. The template I linked to says clearance for 23mm for the arm pillar.
jeff
A friend with long experience in high end retail audio had a P6 for many years. He upgraded to a P8 and regretted it.
Yep. Drill a hole for the subplatter (size depends on the subplatter bearing, mine was 17mm ). Measure 222mm away, and drill another hole, 24mm, for the arm. Thats it.
Thanks for this Jeff, but I was looking for the dimensions of the overall shape of the P8 (P10) base
Geordie
My friend has P8. He and his wife went on a Cruise ship trip and will be back in 2 weeks. I see if I can help with tracing the plinth and dimensions. I had P9 for a few years. The one with full plinth, RB 1000 ,ceramic platter and full size PSU. I have to say that I'd take equal value Linn LP12 any time of the day over it. I blamed it on ceramic platter. Current incarnation of P8 sounds good. I like the easy going nature of cheap Rega tables. After P9 experience I'm less excited about their upper tier models and I don't think they are good value. Well hardly anything is these days.