Sme 3009

I picked up the 3009 II improved from my mate last night, its hardly been used and has been living in his loft for the last 10 years! Anyway, as you would imagine its in pretty fine condition except the bias weight is missing anybody know where I can get these or do I just go back to SME?

Also, along with the arm he's let me have various protractors etc, one is from a company called EEI and was purchased in the 70's. This involves detaching the headshell and inserting this plastic gauge, anybody know anything about them?

Finally, it has two headshells, ones a standard SME and anothers got the inscription AER, AOR or something along those line (ive not looked properly yet). My mate seem to rate the latter but whats the thoughts on that??

 

Could it be ADC ?

 

Thats the one!

 

It'll be an LMG1 most probably - black-painted magnesium and a 'must have' tweak many moons ago

EEI/Elite also built a few well-regarded cartridges.

 

Yes, I had one in the early 80s on the Trio KD1033 I inherited from my Dad. As Gromit said it was one of those highly recommended tweaks. Very nicely made black painted magnesium - supposedly ultra light weight and rigid. I had an Ortofon VMS20E on it. Quite possibly better than the stock item ... certainly better than the stock Trio item. SME don't make rubbish though.

The bias weights come up on ebay fairly regularly, there's a couple on there now with less than a day to go:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48649&item=5776201915&rd=1

Same guy has another for sale as well.

They seem to go for anything up to 30 quid mind. Strikes me a bit of fishing line with an appropriate sized weight on it would do the job just as well (though not so prettily).

Alternatively, I think SME themselves will supply, but don't know what they charge.

 

The fishing line/weights idea did come up last night but like you say its not pretty. I suspect SME my charge a fair old whack for this small weight thats why Im shopping around, I'll prob have a bid on ebay. Im only that weight and an arm-board short of a full deck!

 

Try SME they are a current spare item, last time I bought one was about six months ago they are not the £30.00 quoted on e-pay.

Alternativley there is a guy on the Vinyl Engine forum that make replicas that are supposed to be very good and a lot cheaper.

http://www.audioorigami.co.uk/

Ken

 

That £30 price was the highest in recent sales on ebay, others went for half that. People get carried away I think.

 

Ive got sorted on the weight front thanks to a very kind person on here (thanks Jim) so now I can concentrate on the arm board, I better start thinking about buying some vinyl!

 

T-Bone: what deck/cart will you be using this arm with? Garrard 401/Goldring 1006/12/22/42 combos are good with 3009s, in case you were searching...

 

Can i suggest a Thorens td 160 mk 2? this is what my SME is attached to, and sounds damn good! Re the adc headshell, i also have one of these, and its heavier than the standard sme one,could be mine isnt the one mentioned above, if thats so, how many different types did they make?

 

Ive got a td160 mk1 thats in pieces on the lounge floor! Its undergoing a radical reform and is been dampened with liberal amounts of dynamat and cork! A new plinth and psu should be done next week.

At the moment Im going for a 1006. My phono is MM only and i simply dont have time to make an MC phono at the moment. I will try a denon 103 at some point though.

THE adc one I have is heavier than the standard detachable sme head so I'll probably start with that.

 

T-Bone: why not try a DL110 or DL160, both of which are high output moving coils?
Either will work perfectly well in your MM stage and give you an idea of what the '103 is all about.