Tonearm Service FAQs
1) Do you service all tonearms?
We service most tonearms, but not all tonearms. Please EMAIL US to inquire.
We service Fidelity Research, SME 3012, Glanz, Acoustical System Acquilar, Axiom, and Axiom Anniversary more than any tonearms.
2) How much do you charge for basic rewiring?
Rewiring differs for every tonearm, but generally speaking, we charge US$ 250 + the cost of wires. This may go up or down depending on the tonearm.
3) Is my tonearm worth rebuilding?
Customers should carefully consider the market price of your vintage tonearm vs the labor cost of involved.
We recommend restoring, rebuilding, or rewiring tonearms with a market price of $ 2000 USD and above. Below that, it may be more cost-effective for you to buy a used one on eBay.
Rewiring a tonearm takes anywhere from 1 hr to 10 hrs, it takes the same amount of time to rewire a $ 50 dollar tonearm or a $ 25,000 dollar tonearm.
Please carefully consider the value equation beforehand. Generally speaking, we avoid servicing vintage tonearms before 1970, many of these have broken parts that we cannot reproduce. Think of it as a vintage sports car, it takes 3x as much to repair a vintage car versus a current production model.
4) Why do you recommend FIdelity Research Tonearms?
We do not recommend rebuilding every FR tonearm, but only the FR64S / FR66S. The FR64S can fetch $ 2000 to $ 3000 on the used market, and FR66S frequently sells above $ 8500 USD. FR66S in good condition with original box sells for over $ 10,000 USD.
Other FR models do not require rebuilding, mainly because of the way the bearing is designed.
The FR-64S/FR-S has one of the highest levels of engineering precision we have seen, which is why the arm will benefit from a full restoration.
We have serviced over 100 FR tonearms to date, with many happy customers.
5) How much do you charge for servicing the FR Tonearm?
There are many levels of service, and each arm may require something different, service includes the following:
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* Simple Internal Rewiring ($ 250 & up)
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* Complete Restoration ($ 850)
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* Direct Wiring DIN Bypass (Varies)
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* Bearing Upgrade (varies)
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* FR64S to FR66S conversion kit with 12" armwand and 2 counterweights ($ 1200)
Please EMAIL US to inquire.
6) How can you refuse service my tonearm?
Some tonearm has damaged parts that we cannot reproduce, or the cost of reproducing such parts cannot be justified. If the cost of repair outweighs the value of the arm, we usually would not recommend repairing the tonearm, in such cases, we will decline service. It does not make sense for us to spend 20 hours repairing a $ 100 dollar tonearm.
Many customers have emotional attachments to old tonearms, and often feel insulted when we refuse service.
Rest assured that it is not our intention to offend you, it is simply because we do not feel we meet your expectation at a price point that can be justified.
7) Do you provide a warranty on your tonearm service?
Yes, the warranty period is 6 months on service performed, and not on new damages.
8) How come you charge for something as small as an RCA plug or a Headshell?
RCA plugs for the modern ear can range from $ 2 dollars to $ 500 dollars. Customers who require WBTs or FURUTECH connectors need to realize we have to pay for these parts. They are not free to us, or to you.
Just because your tonearm has a 1964 Headshell which cost $ 5 dollars does not mean we can install a Yamamoto or Acoustical System Arche headshell for free. They cost $ 120 to $ 2000 and sometimes even more.
9) Do you sell tonearm wires?
Yes, we currently provide tonearm wires to 5 manufacturers, which use our tonearm wires in their top-of-the-line tonearms.
We do sell our tonearm wires. Please refer to this LINK.
10) Can you teach me how to rewire a tonearm? Can you tell me what to do with the ground wire? Can you tell me how to run 6 wires through a tonearm, and send me photos and instructions on this?
We receive about 50 emails a day on many many questions. We provide tonearm repair and rewiring service, but unfortunately, we do not have time to provide educational service due to time constraints. It is not because we are unfriendly, we simply do not have the time.
It is like your car mechanic, you go in for a repair service, but the mechanic will not teach you how to change a brake pad, he won't have time for it. You have to go to a community college, and pay a few to learn the skill.
11) Can you service my Rega or Jelco tonearm?
Yes, we can, but we may not be able to do it at a price cheaper than the replacement cost for the arm. Used Rega arms are about $ 100 - 200 dollars, so more cost-effective to buy one on eBay than sending it to us.
Most Rega and Jelco owners do not find it cost-effective to service these arms.