FR64 cartridge suggestions

My recommendation is Ikeda 9 C , cantileverless kind.

See latest post by ddriverman in FR carts thread.

BTW I assume that you mean with FR-64 the 64S (S=steel).

There is also an FR-64 with aluminum arm wand and round

lateral balance.

You can buy silver cartridge leads on eBay. They are a product of either Yamamoto or Oyaide; in other words, the source is reputable. No need to purchase an entire headshell. In fact, I don’t know of any of the better Japanese-made headshells that come with silver leads. @lewm

BTW I assume that you mean with FR-64 the 64S (S=steel).

There is also an FR-64 with aluminum arm wand and round

lateral balance."

I have one of each, one is the 'S'  (With "Silver Wire Inside" sticker) which is at the Ikeda shop in Japan right now getting refurbish/regrease/rewire with Ikeda silver, the other, which has the "round lateral weight" is mounted to my SL1000 MK2.  I have seen 2 different places spec both of these arms as to having the same effective mass, one says 35 grams, (vinyl engine) the other (1986 Stereo Review Stereo Buyers Guide) says 30 grams.

How much 'better' is the 'S' model?

I plan to use the 'S' version when I get it back from Ikeda on my newly acquired SL1000 MK3. 
Hopefully the guide pin issue is solved soon, still waiting.

Does anyone have a contact for "Tien" ?
Maker of B-60 clone.

Gentlemen, 

Were any if you able to get a pin machined or get a new one from Tien?

I was probably one of the first buyers of Tien's B60 replica more than a decade ago probably even predating Nandric.

My first B60 replica unit had a very bad side to side wobble compared to my original B60 that came with my FR66s.I was paranoid that using it on the fly would cause a disastrous accident to one of my cartridge cantilevers.

I contacted Tien on numerous occasions, at first he refused to acknowledge that there could be a problem and he then went awol after promising to send me a replacement. From memory this could have been around 2011.

He finally got in touch with me when I started warning other AGon members about my plight on his B60 for sale threads. Eventually he sent me a replacement where we had to do an exchange of units via a third party whom we both happened to know.

The replacement had less wiggle and I did clean off all the goop he was using and lubricated it with a lighter viscosity which seemed to somewhat alleviate the problem but not cure it totally.

I still do not attempt to dial VTA height while a record is playing so would appreciate  some advice if anyone has managed to acquire a better machined pin/setscrew.

 Thanks 

The only correct way to solve the problem is to cut an new thread on 

the screw side of the construction . Say 2,5 mm . Than the nose can

be adjusted ( polished)  to 2mm qua dimension to the vertical slot. 

We all will pay Lew if he can convince his ''master machinist'' to

make ''y  x $ '' for the job .  I am willing to transfer the needed

money to Lew in advance.  

Lucky me I never become ''master machinist''. So I see afterwards that

my ''solution'' produces more problems than it solves. The problem is

the nose of the screw. If an ''case'' or ''cover'' on the nose can correct

the  (wrong) thickness of the nose (=1 mm?) the problem  can be solved. 

I.e, the thread is 2mm but the nose is smaller while the vertical slot is

also 2mm. 

Me too I need a proper set pin for my B60 clone as well ;)

RE-surfacing an old thread here. Wondering if someone can tell me about head-shell compatibility with these FR64 tone arms?. Can I use regular headshells like I would on a technics 1200g arm for example? . If so what can be said about the native FR headshell eg- is it recommended?. So far I can just assume its a weighty headshell.   

Also as I am digging up this thread does anyone have anything recent to share on cartridge synergy with these arms?

I am considering swapping out the Technics 1200G arm with FR-64s to use with a Koetsu Rosewood standard. 

RE-surfacing an old thread here. Wondering if someone can tell me about head-shell compatibility with these FR64 tone arms?. Can I use regular headshells like I would on a technics 1200g arm for example? . If so what can be said about the native FR headshell eg- is it recommended?. So far I can just assume its a weighty headshell.

I’ve used many headshells with 64fx and 64S. All have worked fine so don’t stress to much:

• Ortofon LH-9000, LH-8000, LH-6000
• Ikeda IS-2, IS-2T
• Koetsu magnesium
• Koetsu vintage wood / metal (1980s?)
• FR RS-141, RS-121 (stock 64fx), RS-10. Also have the stock 64S shell but never used it

The FR are good but I don’t see a need to favor them over others, except for aesthetic. The Ikeda is the best quality but also heaviest at 20g. The LH-8000 and RS-10 are good to shave off some mass. Some of the Ortofons have a tiny bit more rotational play (azimuth) when locking in, so you have to be careful to make sure you’re locking them in to the right azimuth. I like Ortofons the least, honestly, but they still work OK.

For cartridge matching - these arms are ideal with Koetsu. They "wake" the Koetsus up, giving maximum dynamics and the most vibrant midrange (which is the point of a Koetsu). If you want to see how much difference an arm makes, take a Koetsu from an FR64 to a Clearaudio carbon fiber arm (Universal 12" VTA in my case) - on the latter, it sounds completely dead and dull, robbed of all life. I don’t think it’s just the mass matching, either - that carbon fiber arm sounds sterile with many brands of cartridges.

They’re also excellent with top Shelters (Accord, Harmony). The Accord in particular is wonderfully musical and balanced. I like it better than more expensive Harmony, which tries to increase resolution over Accord at the expense of "thinning out" the sound. Still good, but I really prefer the Accord, which was sadly discontinued due to lack of interest.

They’re also excellent with wood-body Benzes. I prefer the iron cross models over ruby plate models, but that’s probably down to me favoring SUTs over active MC gain.

They do OK with Ortofons. But it’s not my favorite. Windfeld (MC and Ti) always ended up leaving me kind of meh. Jubilee MC sucked. A90 is actually really good and interesting sounding, but perhaps a bit more lean in mids and bass than I prefer long term. The Cadenza Bronze is a warmer model than usual for Ortofon, and this one truly matches "100%" A+ with the FR64fx. That Bronze (and its predecessor Kontrapunkt "c") is probably my favorite thing Ortofon made lol.

On a bang-for-buck basis, the FR64fx with Shelter Accord (if you can find one) or Benz Wood S (M or L) or Zebrawood (M or L) or Cadenza Bronze would be my choice. I think I still prefer the Benz and Accord over Bronze, but it’s not far off.

The 64S has been almost permanently occupied with my Koestu Blue Lace since I got it, so I haven’t experimented much on that arm. The Blue Lace is absolutely my best cart, but also the most expensive. When I did arm comparisons with a Koetsu Onyx, the 64S had a slight edge, but the 64fx was still close. 

My impression after decades of headshells and arm wands is that while most headshells can be mated to most arm wands, it is not the case that they are all cross-compatible. It’s a bit trial and error with low risk of error. One deal killer is location of the guide pin on the headshell collar. A few Japanese made headshells have either two guide pins (at 12 and 6 o’clock) or one that’s wrongly located to permit mating to your particular tonearm. Ortofon headshells mate well to my FR64S, if that helps.

Great Replies thank you @mulveling ​​​​@lewm 

I have a few headshells I can start with and will experiment from there. 

I guess the 64s or 64fx question was in my mind also. Someone convinced me the 64s was the one to go for out of the 2 if I wanted something really special. 

I can only see them on the used marketplace for sale in Japan. I have never purchased something like this in terms of cost, age and "delicate-ness" used from an overseas seller. I guess if I am careful of who I buy from I could be ok?. 
The 64S is generally about 30% more cost than the 64FX.

Would you say the 64S is the way to go if I am only getting one to start with and using with my Koetsu standard ?

Speaking for myself, not ever having owned a 64fx, let alone heard one, I can only confirm that the 64S is the more prized version.  Says nothing about SQ.  For mating to Koetsu, which is how I use mine, the 64S is superb.  I use the 18g Ortofon 9000LH headshell (I think that's the correct alphanumeric code), not the FR headshell.  In the case of the Koetsu, you do want high effective mass. The 64S is higher in effective mass than the 64fx.

@lewm thats what I thought. Yes it is 10 grams heavier I think. 

@kdogsy 

If you've already got a Koetsu, it's hard to go wrong with 64S. The 64fx might be a bit more versatile with more medium-ish compliance MCs. But the 64S is better with Koetsus, certainly. On my Clearaudio Innovation, 64S is the #1 arm. And it looks stunning - great aesthetic from the gleaming steel. It looks like a serious instrument. Whereas 64fx looks a bit dingy by comparison, in the #2 slot (which it alternates with a Graham Phantom). 

On my SOTA Nova, the 64S is too heavy to work, so the other 64fx (I have 2) fits and complements the aesthetic quite nicely.