Discuss The Viv Lab Rigid Arm

This is a fundamentally flawed arm. It will have way more tracking distortion than an offset/overhang arm. The geometrics of pivoted arms were investigated back in the 30's by researchers Rabinow and Codier. They proved that pivoted arms required overhang and angled offset to have lowest tracking distortion. 

All pivoted arms trace an arc across a disc/record. Rabinow and Codier calculated the lowest distortion arcs for a given tone arm length across a 12" disc. These required overhang and offset angle. To simply, the longer the arm the shorter the overhang and the converse. R. and C. published a table showing the different amounts of overhang and offset angle required for a given arm length/pivot distance. 

Skating force may not be an important factor in tracking error. Joe Grado believed so and didn't use anti-skate on his wooden tone arm. So did Ikeda-san whose early arms lack anti-skate. I have two - an FR29 and an FR54. I presently have the Coral Sleeping Beauty mc on the FR29. It tracks fine from outer to inner grooves. I don't hear any distortion at a tracking force of 2 grams. My preference is for linear- track TT's. I have five:  B&O, Marantz SL7U, Mitsubishi, Rabco and Revox. These have their own peculiar quirks! 

I have the Grado wood arm. Mine is awaiting restoration.

Too bad we can't ask Ikeda-san his opinion of the Viv Lab arm! Why does it cost so much? My first good tonearm back in '77 was the SME Improved, for which I bought new for $175! That went on an Ariston RD11S ($280, which I still have!).