Re: Thorens 125, Sony PUA-1600? and Shure V15VxMr

[Scott Dorsey]

Max Metral <max@nospam.net> wrote:
>Hi again all. So I've received the Thorens 125 I asked about before.
>Currently there's an Audio Technics cartridge of some sort on it, can't id
>the model, but it looks low end. People recommended the AT440, but I'm
>thinking about going for the gusto with the V15VxMr (I found it for ~250 on
>Amazon, not bad). The remaining trick/question is how in heck I adjust this
>tonearm that I can't find any info about. I'm almost positive it's a Sony
>(the headshell is Sony), and that it is a PUA-1600S based on the
>pivot-spindle and pivot-stylus distances. It has a whole mess of adjusters,
>and no manuals I could find on google or anything. Link to pic included
>below.

Somewhere on www.cicada.com there is an article on basic turntable setup.
Also check the Old Colony book catalogue... they have a short booklet
which is worth reading.

The adjustments are pretty much the same on all arms, although they can
be a bit weird on some.

>*) Given the Sony, is the Shure still a good move or is it a waste of extra
>money? (I'm doing older house records, so the brush is a nice plus too I
>think)
>*) Any ideas on adjustments?

The brush won't help you at all for keeping dust off, but it does change
the effective compliance of the cartridge a lot. If you have a problem
with dirt, you really need a vacuum machine.

The Shure is a good cartridge and it will work with a variety of arms,
but if I had to get the Shure OR a cheap Grado and a vacuum machine with
my money, I'd go the second route. The vacuum is amazing.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Kalman Rubinson]

On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 18:40:51 -0400, "Max Metral" <max@nospam.net>
wrote:

>The remaining trick/question is how in heck I adjust this
>tonearm that I can't find any info about. I'm almost positive it's a Sony
>(the headshell is Sony), and that it is a PUA-1600S based on the
>pivot-spindle and pivot-stylus distances. It has a whole mess of adjusters,
>and no manuals I could find on google or anything. Link to pic included
>below.

NO such thing. It is either a PUA-237 or a PUA-286, depending on
length.

>*) Given the Sony, is the Shure still a good move or is it a waste of extra
>money? (I'm doing older house records, so the brush is a nice plus too I
>think)

The arm may be a bit too massy for the V15.

>*) Any ideas on adjustments?

It is a complex setup. I have the manual.

Kal

[Kalman Rubinson]

On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 20:22:12 -0400, Kalman Rubinson <kr4@nyu.edu>
wrote:

>On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 18:40:51 -0400, "Max Metral" <max@nospam.net>
>wrote:
>
>>The remaining trick/question is how in heck I adjust this
>>tonearm that I can't find any info about. I'm almost positive it's a Sony
>>(the headshell is Sony), and that it is a PUA-1600S based on the
>>pivot-spindle and pivot-stylus distances. It has a whole mess of adjusters,
>>and no manuals I could find on google or anything. Link to pic included
>>below.
>
>NO such thing. It is either a PUA-237 or a PUA-286, depending on
>length.

Let me apologize for that remark. I have not seen a PUA-1600S but the
picture seems to show one of the others. Hard to tell.

Kal

[Scott Dorsey]

Kalman Rubinson <kr4@nyu.edu> wrote:
>
>Let me apologize for that remark. I have not seen a PUA-1600S but the
>picture seems to show one of the others. Hard to tell.

I bought a TTS-3000 but it came with the short PU-237 arm, which is no
use for transcription discs. I put an SME arm on it, and gave the PU-237
away to a friend of mine.

How much should I have asked for the PU-237, and do you have the service
manual with the individual part numbers for the thing? I managed to dig
up a TTS-3000 manual with schematics but nothing on the arm.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Kalman Rubinson]

On 20 Aug 2003 21:26:57 -0400, kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

>Kalman Rubinson <kr4@nyu.edu> wrote:
>>
>>Let me apologize for that remark. I have not seen a PUA-1600S but the
>>picture seems to show one of the others. Hard to tell.
>
>I bought a TTS-3000 but it came with the short PU-237 arm, which is no
>use for transcription discs.

Why?

> I put an SME arm on it, and gave the PU-237
>away to a friend of mine.
>
>How much should I have asked for the PU-237,

Depends. I bought a complete one, in box, for $100. Now, I am not
saying what it's worth and I am a bit sorry I bought it but I have an
obsession for things I coveted when I couldn't afford them.

> and do you have the service
>manual with the individual part numbers for the thing?

The manual I have is the "Owner's Instruction Manual" and it has no
part numbers although it is remarkably complete and detailed in
regards to setup and use.

> I managed to dig
>up a TTS-3000 manual with schematics but nothing on the arm.

They are a matched pair. ;-)

Kal

[Max Metral]

I have a VPI 16.5. But somehow there always seems to be a stray spec or two
left. Perhaps I'm not doing a good enough job on the cleaning phase. So
you're saying the brush doesn't help stop even stray bits?

You mentioned in a follow on that the Sony arm you had was useless for
transcription. Was it the same as mine?

"Scott Dorsey" <kludge@panix.com> wrote in message
news:bi0v19$4dp$1@panix2.panix.com...
> Max Metral <max@nospam.net> wrote:
> >Hi again all. So I've received the Thorens 125 I asked about before.
> >Currently there's an Audio Technics cartridge of some sort on it, can't
id
> >the model, but it looks low end. People recommended the AT440, but I'm
> >thinking about going for the gusto with the V15VxMr (I found it for ~250
on
> >Amazon, not bad). The remaining trick/question is how in heck I adjust
this
> >tonearm that I can't find any info about. I'm almost positive it's a
Sony
> >(the headshell is Sony), and that it is a PUA-1600S based on the
> >pivot-spindle and pivot-stylus distances. It has a whole mess of
adjusters,
> >and no manuals I could find on google or anything. Link to pic included
> >below.
>
> Somewhere on www.cicada.com there is an article on basic turntable setup.
> Also check the Old Colony book catalogue... they have a short booklet
> which is worth reading.
>
> The adjustments are pretty much the same on all arms, although they can
> be a bit weird on some.
>
> >*) Given the Sony, is the Shure still a good move or is it a waste of
extra
> >money? (I'm doing older house records, so the brush is a nice plus too I
> >think)
> >*) Any ideas on adjustments?
>
> The brush won't help you at all for keeping dust off, but it does change
> the effective compliance of the cartridge a lot. If you have a problem
> with dirt, you really need a vacuum machine.
>
> The Shure is a good cartridge and it will work with a variety of arms,
> but if I had to get the Shure OR a cheap Grado and a vacuum machine with
> my money, I'd go the second route. The vacuum is amazing.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

In article <bg88kv8ohb5st4tolmmt2e9r5h2qvvtck1@4ax.com>,
Kalman Rubinson <kr4@nyu.edu> wrote:
>On 20 Aug 2003 21:26:57 -0400, kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
>
>>Kalman Rubinson <kr4@nyu.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>Let me apologize for that remark. I have not seen a PUA-1600S but the
>>>picture seems to show one of the others. Hard to tell.
>>
>>I bought a TTS-3000 but it came with the short PU-237 arm, which is no
>>use for transcription discs.
>
>Why?

Because the 16-inch discs won't fit on the machine with the short arm.
Even worse are the 18-inch stampers used to make the 16-inch pressings.
I get those every once in a while.

>> I put an SME arm on it, and gave the PU-237
>>away to a friend of mine.
>>
>>How much should I have asked for the PU-237,
>
>Depends. I bought a complete one, in box, for $100. Now, I am not
>saying what it's worth and I am a bit sorry I bought it but I have an
>obsession for things I coveted when I couldn't afford them.

That seems a little high, but not outrageously high. And it is a workable
arm, even if it's no SME.

>> and do you have the service
>>manual with the individual part numbers for the thing?
>
>The manual I have is the "Owner's Instruction Manual" and it has no
>part numbers although it is remarkably complete and detailed in
>regards to setup and use.
>
>> I managed to dig
>>up a TTS-3000 manual with schematics but nothing on the arm.
>
>They are a matched pair. ;-)

I'll trade manuals if you want.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

Max Metral <max@nospam.net> wrote:
>I have a VPI 16.5. But somehow there always seems to be a stray spec or two
>left. Perhaps I'm not doing a good enough job on the cleaning phase.

If you have -really- filthy records, you can try pre-cleaning. Also you can
try the Lysol Direct-based cleaning formula that was posted here a few years
back. It works on very filthy records.

>So
>you're saying the brush doesn't help stop even stray bits?

I don't think it does.

>You mentioned in a follow on that the Sony arm you had was useless for
>transcription. Was it the same as mine?

I'm not sure which one you have. The one I had was pretty heavy, but it
was useable. I got rid of it because I needed a 21-inch long arm in order
to play oversized transcription discs. That Sony TTP-3000 could be
purchased with either a short or a long arm, and I needed the long one.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Kalman Rubinson]

On 21 Aug 2003 10:26:39 -0400, kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

>Because the 16-inch discs won't fit on the machine with the short arm.
>Even worse are the 18-inch stampers used to make the 16-inch pressings.
>I get those every once in a while.

Duh. I should have paid attention to your use of the word 'short' for
this arm.

>I'll trade manuals if you want.

OK. I have to get around to scanning it now.

Kal

[Max Metral]

I don't know what I can trade, but I'd love that manual too. :)

I can trade the work to get it posted and archived on VinylEngine I s'pose.

"Kalman Rubinson" <kr4@nyu.edu> wrote in message
news:hhp9kv0rr3178l8ge4bu1nmk2sg0754jpe@4ax.com...
> On 21 Aug 2003 10:26:39 -0400, kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
>
> >Because the 16-inch discs won't fit on the machine with the short arm.
> >Even worse are the 18-inch stampers used to make the 16-inch pressings.
> >I get those every once in a while.
>
> Duh. I should have paid attention to your use of the word 'short' for
> this arm.
>
> >I'll trade manuals if you want.
>
> OK. I have to get around to scanning it now.
>
> Kal