Jelco sa 750e

I see, thanks for the advice and clarification

FR 64s and long 66s are heavy mass toneams made of stainless steel.

64fx and long 66fx are NOT heavy mass tonearms, they are made of aluminum and copper. 64fx with optional counterweight (W250) can handle superheavy carts like SPU and FR-7fz, but with stock small counterwight the 64fx is perfect for nearly all MM and MC cartridges (old or new). Those two tonearms are predecessors of the IKEDA tonearms available today (same PS distance BTW). You can read about IKEDA here.

heat lamp warms up the grease I guess?

  If there is a problem (*typically with 64s) you can try this method, but I think you’d better open/clean to add the new grease, it’s very easy! Before you buy, ask the seller about the condition, if there is a problem - don’t buy such a sample and find another. My 64s does not have such a problem.  

Interesting, I know very little about the fidelity research arms

except they are heavy mass and great for low compliance catridges

heat lamp warms up the grease I guess?

I learned this from a guru, and it turned out to be correct. Sometimes the FR64S and probably the 66S, so maybe the 64fx, pivot can feel kind of "stiff" at first. This may also apply to the VTF adjustment. The guru advised to just put the tonearm under a heat lamp for a short while, to cure the problem(s). I did this with my 64S, which did come to me with a feeling of viscosity in the pivot and a very stiff VTF adjuster. The heat lamp cured the viscous feeling in the pivot bearing entirely, and the VTF adjuster got looser, but the latter is still a bit stiff. I think you want it that way, so the chosen setting does not vary during use of the tonearm.  Despite the fact that I am using my 64S in my basement system, where the ambient temperature is typically in the mid to high 60s, cool by US home standards, the bearing has remained free after that one heat treatment.

I read that if the vtf was hard to turn it would need to be cleaned and regreased

Did you have your cleaned and regressed?

I did, but only on my 66fx and only because the side panel fell off on arrival.
Look at the VTF spring of my 66fx with new grease.

My NOS samples of the 64fx are all fine, two of them. I also have 64fx PRO and it’s also fine. As you might know the fx series was made in the '80s and overall quality of some parts are better than old 64s from the early '70s.

The armlift and arm base are better on FX, dynamic tracking force is always in better condition that on 64s.
So the problem you are talking about is a common problem for 64s , but not for FX series.

Looks really solid, I was about to make a trade for a sp10 that had a fidelity research fx64 s on it but he backed out.

I read that if the vtf was hard to turn it would need to be cleaned and regreased

Did you have your cleaned and regressed?

the plinth is corian several layers I’ll have to look into what to drill it with

thanks

So 1.25 inch = 31.7 mm

Basically you could expand your mounting hole towards the platter by only 0.39 inch to mount another tonearm with 230mm (9.05 inch) Pivot to Spindle distance like Fidelity-Research FR-64fx. The top plate of the FR tonearm base will cover 53mm (2.08 inch) diameter above your plinth anyway.

Look at FR-64fx in my system (in the middle of the picture gallery).

It’s 1.25 in

Ahh so I need to measure the hole as well

makes sense 

Jelco is drilled thru with no arm board.

spindle to pivot is 240mm

does anyone know a better tone arm that would have that 240mm so I could mount it in the same location?

Same PS distance does not mean the same diameter of the mounting hole in your plinth. It can be wider or smaller than your current hole.

If you can modify the mounting hole a bit, you could use Fidelity-Reseach FR-64fx tonearms with 230mm PS distance and 30mm mounting hole diameter. Superb tonearm!

What makes the 850 better is it the knife bearing?

@noromance 

Mk3?

My mistake, meant MKII

https://www.vinylengine.com/tonearm_database.php?make=any&mdl=&sort=2&ascdesc=ASC&se...=

I just put 3 arms on a single plinth made for 2 arms and learned a lot doing it. You can see it here, 8th photo:

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/9511

How much room do you have? (verify clearances inside the closed dust cover for height and rear part of the arm when at rest). I got lucky with my long arm’s height after I put it on a spacer, and was very careful to find a compact arm on the left, I just squeezed it in.

you have some options you might not have considered.

What diameter is the existing hole?

You can elongate the hole ’some’ as long as the new arm’s cover plate will cover the larger oblong hole, that gives you flexibility within reason. I did that for my rear arm (check underneath for any obstructions and clearance to fasten the replacement arm).

You can add a larger cover plate (or very large washer) below an arm’s base plate (thin and strong) to cover an elongated hole below the replacement arm IF you will be able to keep the arm low enough for proper VTA.

Note: my thick Victor TT81 sits above the plinth, I had to add a 3/8" spacer under the base plate to get the arm high enough. Clear acrylic, I could have painted it black, didn’t bother. 7th photo

Previously I had 3/16"thick rectangular hardwood board below the base plate that I stained to match the plinth. Then the tonearm supplier sent me the spacer pre-drilled for the base plate screws when he saw my TT81 thickness.

Oh yeah, I filled an old hole with a wood plug from the bottom, left it recessed a bit, and put a 45 adapter in it.

Clever, with caution!

Get an SME Type V used! Great arm! 

Don't obsess about that 240 mm distance! Plus or minus 5 or so mm is inconsequential regarding distortion. For most tonearms the overhang is within 1or 2 mm! You cannot hear the difference! I owned a Jelco arm years ago when the company name was Koshin - the GST-1. $250 in 1978. The GST-801 was $500 then. I liked the SME-type adjustable base - made setting overhang easy!

Jelco TK-850M MK III

Mk3? 
Yes, the 850 is the logical choice if you don't want to spend too much. I do believe that bkeske is correct about Origin Live. @millercarbon might know.
Not sure what your longer term plinth plans are but going 12" will prove more satisfying in the long run.

I think I’m gonna try another cartridge for now, thanks for the suggestions

I see, I’m just a bit limited with the 240mm

Mounting distance.

I suppose there may be some upgrades for the Jelco too

thsnks for the I fo

If you want to go this route the linn arm but you would have to go above the Ittok to improve the Jelco is a pretty good arm. I had a Audioquest pt-9 long ago which is pretty much a Jelco 750 but straight 


I rewired it  added better din wire and added a Expressimo counterweight there was a nice improvement even the counterweight alone made a nice difference.

I read the 850 was a lot better arm,

thanks for your reply

The Jelco TK-850M MK III, if you can find one. ‘Plug and play’ as the s to p is the same.

You might also look into Origin Live offerings. Not positive they have a 240 s to p distance though.