Tonearm or headshell for Empire 208

My 208 came with a custom mounted Rega tonearm. I believe it is a 100 series. Works fine. I can send you a picture of the setup if you want.

Thanks for the responses. I was actually planning to contact you (Atmasphere) about these issues since you've had plenty of experience. Part of me is kicking myself for not picking up the 208 I saw that was cut out for an SME tonearm that was on eBay for a while.

Jazzerdave, I've done a lot of work with that 'table.

The cartridge clip is NLA and the hardest part to find. Although the 'table is a good design, its arm is lacking compared to modern designs, and you would do well to do something to damp the platter and plinth, both of which ring like a bell.

I did set my first 208 up with an SME5 which worked fine. The Rega arm is popular if you are on a budget; IMO/IME if you are on a budget see if you can find an old Grace 707 in good condition. You may have to get a bit of aluminum and build a cover for the original holes so you can install the new arm where you want without worries.

Have Fun!

The hole for the Empire arm is typically too close to the spindle for most modern arms. You can go on vinylengine.com to look up the specs. they also have a tonearm search function where you can put in a specification and search for arms that fit. Get the mount distance for the Empire then search with that distance to see what will fit. I think the difference is in the 1/2"range.

I might add that I'm looking for budget-minded solutions. For instance, what would it take to mount an RB-250?