In a message dated 11/29/2005 10:06:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
We got an AR but only for the motor, platter and pivot. We called the tone arm a baseball bat, $25. Then we got a Grace tonearm, a beautifully tapered aluminum channel with holes drilled thru it for weight reduction. It had bare gold wires epoxied to it for the phono cartridge signal (the epoxy isolated the 4 wires). The tone arm had an oil damped uni-pivot so you had to balance it in 360-degrees, $125. Got a new moving coil cartridge and preamp, $275. Lastly, since the base of the AR was also substandard, we cast a solid concrete base. Total weight about 100-lbs and NEVER any rumble, noise or feedback. Total cost about $450.
Exactly what I mean!  If Eric had not had constructive outlets in audio-nerding, he probably would have been out engaging in anti-social behavior or something.   c