Thomas Schick tonearms

All I did on my table was set the Feickert protractor to 309mm scribed a mark ,drilled the hole and set the stylus over hang to 309 mm the cartridge is mounted closer to the back of the head shell . glanz 004.JPG
 
Not sure the geometry can be corrected for both A and G by moving the pivot point.

It might be less of an issue with SPU conicals but more of a problem with elliptical and later modern profiles.

What I was saying is that the typical mounting distance in a 1/2" headshell will be longer than an Ortofon type A. Doesn't this cause a problem?
He makes both modified AS-212s. One for the A cart and one for the G carts. The arm tube is longer on the A cart one. I have one for the G carts and it's a great arm. He totally rebuilds them. It's all silver wired and the tube has been dampened. Even the RCA cables are silver wire. I bought mine a few years ago and got for less than $800.
 
All I did on my table was set the Feickert protractor to 309mm scribed a mark ,drilled the hole and set the stylus over hang to 309 mm the cartridge is mounted closer to the back of the head shell

Well, that's all you can do. I wouldn't have thought that the headshell slots extended far enough back to align, but if so, there you have it,

The G geometry is much closer to standard 1/2" headshell dimensions.
 
Well, that's all you can do. I wouldn't have thought that the headshell slots extended far enough back to align, but if so, there you have it,

The G geometry is much closer to standard 1/2" headshell dimensions.
Correct. I have a sliding base on mine and I still don't think there's enough adjustment to run an A cart. 124 improved 011.JPG
 
He has sold about 1,000 of them so that means there's 1,000 less AS-212 left. So you better buy them while can before Alfred gets his hands on them and chops them up. :D
 
Thanks to all who shared their insights both here in via PM. I placed my order with Thomas.

In the meantime I'll be working on the 301 restore and thinking about plinth options.

Larry
 
I follow this BS profiteering campaign quite close and it's not just Alfred I'm afraid.

Wow, you're right...there is a huge industry in this! Amazing how pople rush into any niche in audio and try to capitalize on the smallest flimsy bit of hype.

Yeah those Telefunkens used to be really cheap.

All considered, I know a few people using those 12" mods and they like them, so it might not be a total ripoff. I figure the mod job and new arm tube is worth at least a few hundred bucks.
 
Wow, you're right...there is a huge industry in this! Amazing how pople rush into any niche in audio and try to capitalize on the smallest flimsy bit of hype.

Yeah those Telefunkens used to be really cheap.

All considered, I know a few people using those 12" mods and they like them, so it might not be a total ripoff. I figure the mod job and new arm tube is worth at least a few hundred bucks.

The simplicity of the Borland hybrid arm in my mechanical understanding is very similar to the Schick . One thing I like that Schick offers is the carbon graphite heahshell
 
Schick uses real high spec bearings, gets parts machined to very close tolerances, and has a number of tricks that I am not at liberty to disclose. He is a very picky meticulous person and there's a lot of thought and experimentation behind that arm that isn't immediately apparent.

I haven't taken either apart so I don't know the inner details. The arm tube geometry might be similar to Alfred's but i think both might be copying a rarish Telefunken 12" broadcast arm that I never heard of before it was described to me. There was a lot of nice German pro gear that most Amerikaners never even heard of, particularly East German stuff.

I constant see and hear new and weird stuff from the German past, especially pro speakers, some really good ones too.

The outward simplicity of these arms is a feature not a bug, as far as I am concerned. Some like complicated arms, not me.

I switched over to the Schick because of performance. It really works great with the low compliance carts that I prefer. The quality was instantly obvious with cartridge types that I had been using for decades and knew very well.

I have the graphite headshell, but for the DL103, I prefer the heavy Audio-Technica LH-18. I've been using the graphite with misc old Shures. Still not 100% convinced that I like it over a decent cheaper aluminum headshell. It does lend a drier controlled flavor that could be the ticket for some setups and listeners. Hard to say... it depends.

Schick is very critical of most graphite headshells, which tend to ring like crazy. His blend is more self-damped. He demonstrated this to me with a few other famous brands which ring like a porcelain saucer. if you check the geometry of the headshell, it is quite well thought out too. I'm still working on figuring out what to do with it.
 
The only two pure graphite headshells I am aware of is the Schick and the Oswaled Mills . The other ones are carbon fiber types . I use a pure graphite TT mat by Boston audio . I was looking to make a graphite arm board . The Borland arm just works right . He took some thing good and improved on it . I added my own touch the VTA on the fly and the half moon counter weights . It tracks my Glanz mfg610 lx & Nagaoka jewel tone jtr3 ribbon flawlessly
 
I have the silver Nagatron trans that goes with that ribbon cartridge. Good SPU trans!

There is at least one other graphite headshell besides the OMA. I forget what it was called but I remember what it looked like. I think it was small production German. 30% of the German population seems to be in the analog business sometimes!
 
Got an SL-15 too! I have the T version with the onboard transformer.

I might have too much stuff...but it is better than not having enough, I suppose.
 
As long as you are having fun and enjoying your gear . To collect things just to look at them does not make sense to me .
I am thinking about adding a 103r to the collection I have a DL301mk2 that is just ok . If the 103r is similar I would not want to bother
 
Note that that conversion is for the short "A" SPU headshell and not the far more common G type. I think most aftermarket headshells for standard cartridges would be kinda long for that geometry.

What say you users?

That guy's arms are supposedly quite well done, according to a few people I know who have them.
Alfred offers either option (G or A length arm tubes) as well as arms for EMT cartridges. I did hear a Schick arm at Oswald Mill, but I cannot offer any direct comparison to these modified AS-212 arms. I can say it is superior to a rather beat-up SME 3012 for SPU's, Denon 103's and even a Sony XL-55Pro. The Schick may be better, but these are a good value and available now.
 
Might I suggest a series 1 3012 for the SPU's.

I used two 3012 Series I for many years, including one rebuilt and optimized for SPU by Luigi Andreoli of Blue Diamond. Heavy weights, rewired with silver etc.

The Schick flt out kills it with SPUs. The SME is very smeared and indistinct, although pleasant and enjoyable. That arm seems better suited for medium compliance carts to my present understanding.

In any case, though the 3012 holds a place in my audio nostalgia pantheon and I enjoyed it a lot for 20+ years, it is not a great deal at current collectible prices and not at all the best choice for SPUs.

30 seconds after listening to an SPU with my first Schick, I knew that I wouldn't go back. I might hook up a 3012 on one of my TTs just to keep using it, since it is such an old friend, but my main 301 will stay Schicked.
 
Ask me that in dollars and sense and you'll get a number. Follow that auction I linked to, to see the wrong price. I'm betting it's gonna be there for a while.
 
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