Tonearm Service FAQs
Before contacting us:
1) Shipping cost:
Before inquiring about servicing, kindly check the UPS/FedEx/DHL charges from your country to Singapore before you EMAIL US about your tonearm. US customers should consider the tariffs imposed on goods reentering the country, regardless of the declaration amount.
We usually recommend that customers first contact the factory or their local dealer for a simple tonearm rewiring. You can find a local service that does not require shipping cost.
2) Do you service my tonearm?
We turn down all service requests if:
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The shipping cost exceeds the cost of your tonearm
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The price for a used one on eBay is lower than the cost of service
3) 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 and the type of wiring you choose.
4) Is my tonearm worth rebuilding?
Customers should carefully consider the market price of your vintage tonearm vs the labor cost 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 50 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, as 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.
5) Why do you recommend rebuilding the Fidelity Research FR64/66S 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 the 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.
6) 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 ($ 400-1600)
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Bearing Upgrade ($ 100-350)
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FR64S to FR66S conversion kit with 12" armwand and 2 counterweights ($ 1200)
Please EMAIL US to inquire.
7) How can you refuse service to my tonearm?
Some tonearms have 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 expectations at a price point that can be justified, nor do I work $ 10 an hour.
8) Do you provide a warranty on your tonearm service?
Yes, the warranty period is 6 months on service performed, and not on new damages.
10) 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 that 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.
11) Do you sell tonearm wires?
Yes, we currently provide tonearm wires to 5 manufacturers, who use our tonearm wires in their top-of-the-line tonearms.
We do sell our tonearm wires. Please refer to this LINK.
12) 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 with 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.
We do not offer a service to teach you how to repair an FR tonearm.
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 hundred dollars to learn the skill.
13) 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.
Most Rega and Jelco owners do not find it cost-effective to service these arms.
14) Verbal Abuse
We do not deal with rude customers or tolerate verbal abuse. Any verbal abuse will result in your email being blocked, all service requests will be declined, and your existing tonearm will be returned at your expense without servicing.