Just got a Grado wooden tonearm for my TD-124

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by action pact, Oct 7, 2017.

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  1. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    So true, especially when it comes to hifi!
     
  2. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    Well alrighty, now. The Cardas interconnects arrived today and have been soldered into place with a KAB turret board. The operation went off without any hitches.

    Listening to some Sharon Jones (RIP) right now... Bass seems deeper/rounder, and everything sound cleaner and more composed.

    My new stylus (8MR) for the Grado Signature 8MR is due for delivery tomorrow. Then things will really be swingin' then... but the M97xE sounds quite good already.
     
  3. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    Oops, I meant an 8MZ stylus for my 8MR cart!
     
  4. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    How about a picture?
     
  5. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    [​IMG]
     
    Gary, shutdown66, 56GoldTop and 4 others like this.
  6. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    Ooh la la:love::righton:
     
    action pact likes this.
  7. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
    Lovely
     
  8. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    The 1984 Grado Signature 8MR has been mounted on the Grado arm, and I spent the necessary time getting it carefully set up, paying particular attention to azimuth.

    The Grado cart sounds great on the Grado arm... and the stylus is still breaking in!

    These ancient arms are better than you might think. Old Joe Grado knew what he was doing.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2017
  9. H8SLKC

    H8SLKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    Gasp! But, but it's not carbon fiber or unobtainium!

    Love it. Really do.
     
    action pact likes this.
  10. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
    I think that I shall never see
    A tonearm lovely as a tree...
     
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  11. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    :laugh:
     
  12. cat9

    cat9 Forum Resident


    Really sweet G!!!

    ...Enjoy :righton:
     
    action pact likes this.
  13. fixedwheel

    fixedwheel New Member

    Location:
    Tampa
    wow. been looking for someone with this set up for awhile. I have the same table and arm running on a fisher x-101B. I do have the ground hum and it is related to the table/arm but I haven't solved it. any trouble shooting advice?
     
  14. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    UPDATE:

    The arm started misbehaving (mistracking and dancing), so I sent it off to my friend, Marc Morin, whose expertise with upgrading AR-XA tonearms is well-known, as is his extensive knowledge of Grado cartridges. I figured he'd be interested in examining a vintage Grado tonearm, and he has the know-how to fix it up for me.

    I just heard back from him...
    I've finished up the vertical pivot assembly. The screws are the conical pivot cups, not a chance I could mount sapphire cups in them since they are a taper hole. They were filled with debris, mostly rust. the pins are the cross beam/rod. They were quite rusty. I was able to finish the cups and the pins with 1 micron paper. I have greased the cups/pins. I did a little cleaning of the post for horizontal movement, greased that as well. Movement seems to be pretty good.

    I'll report back once the arm is received and reinstalled on my TD-124.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2018
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  15. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    In an alternative world people like Marc Morin would be sacred.
     
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  16. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    I must be living in an alternative world then!
     
  17. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    No you're living in the real world where he's sacred to only a relative few freaks. I'm in awe of people like Marc who have so much wisdom, knowledge and experience and willingly share it with those that don't. It's a rare trait. And I suspect his abilities go far beyond being able to restore 50 year old turntables.
     
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  18. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    I wish you would have taken more rewiring photos. My Grado lab is still sitting on top of my Lenco unwired and I haven't spun a record in months! I know what a pain it can be working with phono leads (try to sort them out) so I've been avoiding the surgery! Did you take any pics during the operation. I, to0, am afraid of reversing wires.
     
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  19. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    Marc knows his schitt, that's for sure.

    He's a great guy too. I had a brief opportunity to meet up with him when he was vacationing in Vermont a few years ago.
     
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  20. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    The internal arm wires on mine are original, but rewiring it should be super-easy.
    RE: Tips on Rewiring Grado Lab Series Tonearm? - HOK - Vinyl Asylum

    Replacing the interconnects was also no big deal. I used a simple brass terminal strip (from KAB). First you insert the bare interconnect wires into each of the terminals and solder them in place, and then you do the same thing with the tonearm wires into the other side of the terminals. Very simple to do.
     
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  21. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    FOLLOW-UP:

    When I first got the arm back from Marc a few weeks ago, I set it up with a nice older Grado Signature 8M cartridge, using a Pat's Audio repro carrier sled. It didn't sound great; the top end was noticably dull/cloudy and it had a weird fuzziness to the midrange on the left channel that didn't sound like mistracking. My immediate thought was it needed rewiring, but I also know that some say that modern tonearm wires are too thick and will affect the movement of the arm; the original arm wires are as thin as hairs.

    So I put it back in the box for a few weeks while I pondered the problem...

    A few days ago, I decided to have another go at it. This time I secured the junction plate (where the arm wires and interconnects intersect) to the underside of the armboard, and instead of using the Pat's repro sled, I used the original Grado sled (which needed to have one wire re-connected). I don't know why, but now it sound phenomenal.

    Not just good, not just OK, but phenomenal.

    The Grado cartridge, not surprisingly, is an ideal match for the Grado arm. It sounds open, alive, delicate, lively, fulsome, spacious, organic, transparent, and 3D. Backgr0unds are quieter than I've yet heard on the TD-124, bass is full-bodied yet well-defined, and tracking is as clean as a whistle. I cannot believe how good this outwardly primitive arm sounds!
     
    Twinsfan007 likes this.
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