All of this mud-slinging is going off-topic.
I think there are a variety of arms under $1k which are really quite good. I don't want to be accused of talking my own book (I still have a closet full of stuff to get rid of) so I won't name names here. Some which have been mentioned on the thread already are excellent. Some might be tough to find under $1k.
However... without naming names here... if you look at any major Japanese manufacturer of high end turntables in the 1978-1984 period, many of them sold turntables in full form and modular form (i.e. you could buy a ready-to-play set, or you could choose your motor, your plinth, your arm, or just buy one or two of the three). If you take a look at the tonearm from their top "full form" turntable which was also sold as an after-market option, it means it can be easily mounted on another table. In the majority of cases, those arms are really excellent deals for the money now. Some have already been mentioned in the thread and some have not. They ranged from effective length of about 220mm to about 250mm, and then some tables had "long arm" lengths which were in the area of 282mm. In addition, there were some arms from Japanese manufacturers which were not turntable manufacturers but instead specialized in after-market accessories (like arms, occasionally carts, and sometimes a few other tidbits). In many cases, those arms were also excellent. One of those has been mentioned here too but there are a few others.
