Recognize This Tonearm?

RE: Recognize This Tonearm?, posted on September 26, 2021 at 14:09:21
ddarch Dealer Posts: 1255 Joined: February 21, 2002	Definitely a Rega variant.

RE: Recognize This Tonearm?, posted on September 26, 2021 at 14:39:07
PAR Audiophile Posts: 1732 Location: South London, UK Joined: June 4, 2019	It is a Rega with a custom counterweight. "We need less, but better" - Dieter Rams

Possible Michell Technoarm., posted on September 26, 2021 at 16:18:35
ppopp Audiophile Posts: 2994 Location: OR Joined: October 10, 2002	With a few mods to counter weight and bearing housing color.

RE: Recognize This Tonearm?, posted on September 26, 2021 at 17:31:04

John-from Seattle
Audiophile

Posts: 1154
Location: Tacoma
Joined: November 13, 1999

It looks Rega, but yet, it doesn't. It'd be the RB250, but those are usually black, as is the RB300, unless it's been stripped. If not the 250, it's the bit newer RB251, again, modified. All the rest had the VTF dial a la the RB300, which includes the RB600, RB800 and I think the RB900 as you move up the line

All of them, outside of the RB700 and RB1000 were coated in black, both of those were silver in color.

Thus I wonder if it isn't a lower end Origin Live arm, based on the RB250, but the OEM variant perhaps instead and utilizes the pillar mount so predates the RB250 and perhaps with some mods as some of these were based on the basic shape/design, but with improvements to things like the wiring, bearings etc.

That tonearm sold within the last six months., posted on September 27, 2021 at 07:05:33

viridian

I'm getting old, but someone asked about it on one of the forums when it was last for sale. Rather distinctive with that bespoke counterweight.

A couple of things can be inferred. The arm is rewired, with a discrete ground wire added. There is also a sheath over the threaded arm pillar that allows it to be used in mountings that secure the arm with a grub screw. Often this just fits over the threaded arm pillar and can simply be unscrewed to return the arm to threaded bolt through hole mounting. I believe that Basis was one of the ones that had this arrangement, though this does not appear to be a Basis Rega arm.

One possible clue is not visible, and that is, on the top of the cueing gantry, next to the anti-skate adjustment, should be a round logo. That might tell the reseller that the arm was OEMed for, Moth, NAD, Goldring, etc. Or it might have the Rega logo as well.

RE: Recognize This Tonearm?, posted on September 27, 2021 at 08:09:30

JLMoore3
Audiophile

Posts: 52
Location: Delmar, NY
Joined: October 23, 2019

Viridian gave me the clues that helped find a PDF from Origin Live last night. The arm is the OL1, their entry-level version of the RB250 in silver rather than black. It does have a bespoke counterweight, hidden ground, and the removable sheath over the threaded pillar. I've included the OL1 page from the Origin Live arm brochure.

After doing more searching, it sounds like the highly-modified OL1 would be an improvement over the OEM RB300 on my SOTA Comet 1. I'm going to give it a try & report back my findings.

Thanks all for the input!
John

Glad that we could all help. It will be interesting to hear of the comparison. nt, posted on September 27, 2021 at 08:44:00
viridian	Nt

RE: Recognize This Tonearm? - Mystery Solved!, posted on September 27, 2021 at 13:05:53

JLMoore3
Audiophile

Posts: 52
Location: Delmar, NY
Joined: October 23, 2019

It turns out to be an Audio Origami-modded Rega RB250 arm, with a different counterweight (that I can't find any info on). Maybe not too much of an upgrade from the OEM RB300 arm on my SOTA Comet, but I'm going to go ahead & install it to see. The main difference, for me, of the modded RB250 over the OEM RB300 is the lack of the spring adjustment mechanism for the tracking weight... I never really liked that feature.

John

Johnnie does terrific work. I would rather have that...-, posted on September 27, 2021 at 15:02:49
viridian	...-than an Origin Live RB250. I sent a Linn Ittok to him and his work was marvelous, with quick turnaround and very reasonable pricing. If you email him, he might know about that bespoke counterweight, he is very approachable. Best of luck.

RE: Johnnie?, posted on September 27, 2021 at 15:04:40
JLMoore3 Audiophile Posts: 52 Location: Delmar, NY Joined: October 23, 2019	I'm not sure which Johnnie you're referring to... Do you have an email address for him? TIA

John Nilsen is Audioorigami. You can contact him through the company website. Nt, posted on September 27, 2021 at 15:11:31
viridian	Nt

D'Oh! NT, posted on September 27, 2021 at 15:13:12
JLMoore3 Audiophile Posts: 52 Location: Delmar, NY Joined: October 23, 2019	NT

RE: Possible Michell Technoarm., posted on September 28, 2021 at 22:05:44

beach cruiser
Audiophile

Posts: 7054
Location: so cal
Joined: September 24, 2003

I only know back to the techno arm A, nothing before that. The Michell modifications are visually distinctive, so easy to identify a rega casting hot rodded by old man Michell himself, as his last audio product.

It is shot peened , giving a dull luster to the bare casting, and has distinctive lightening holes underneath that expose the foam dampening material inside. the weight is in the form of an underslung tube shape perpendicular to the arm , very different looking than a disk shaped weight with a hole in the center.

Now rega has an improved casting, so that is used in new production.

Paint stripped Rega RB250 with after market counterweight and upgraded wiring., posted on October 5, 2021 at 00:35:13
B.K. Audiophile Posts: 1092 Location: California Joined: February 18, 2007 Contributor Since: March 12, 2007	Paint stripped Rega RB250 with after market counterweight and upgraded wiring. This is neither an Audiomods nor an Origin live modified tonearm. Best regards,

Vinyl Asylum

Recognize This Tonearm?

174.126.159.165