Thomas Schick tonearms

larrydata

Member
I’m having a 301 restored and have heard that the Thomas Schick 12” arm would be a good match if I go with a SPU.

But after some research I’m not finding anyone in the US that carries this arm. Lots of great reviews but nothing for sale.

Do I order direct from Thomas in Germany? Or have people perhaps moved on to a different arm for SPUs?

Thanks, Larry
 
At one time I seem to recall that Oswald Mills was going to have distribution of the Schick arms in North America. I just looked at their site, and they do not list their products. So it appears you do have to order from the Schick website.

Now you just do not call them up, order an arm, and get it in 7 to 10 days. I would expect to be put on a waiting list, and not be surprised if I was told it was a 6 month or longer queue.

Other arms for a SPU cartridge? Well, I would wager the Ortofon arms would work, since they manufacture the SPU cartridge.

Regards
Mister Pig
 
Thank you Mister Pig.

Yes, I was expecting about a 4-month wait for the Schick.

I'll consider the Orofon too. :)

Larry
 
You have to contact Thomas Schick via email.

He built a 12" for me. I ordered it Jan.2016 and received it Jan.2017.

I know it's a long time, but it's a fantastic arm. Well worth the wait.
 
I have one as well--it is a great arm for much less (in both time and money) than the Schick. I have also used an Audio Technica ATP-12T tonearm with SPU's with success. They used to be easy to find for around $200, but they seem a bit more expensive now, as are the very similar AT 15xx models, especially the 12" versions. The Audio Technica arms are high quality and no nonsense–a good match of the Garrard and the SPU.
 
If so inclined there have been a few Schick's popping up on the used market,
have you decided on a plinth?
 
I have three Schick 12" arms. Needless to say, I think it is an excellent choice.

Works great on the SPU, my favorite, but also takes DL103 to a new level. Bearings are rock solid and it can really cope with carts that put a lot of energy into the arm, such as the 103.

I have used it with carts with compliance up to about 20.

Before the Schicks, I used SME 3012s for a few decades...no contest. The SME is smeared and slow by comparison, although enjoyable.

Contact Thomas direct. Great guy. He is a good friend of mine, so my recommendation is not anonymous, but I paid for the arms I have, even though he would have given me at least one or two.

There is surely a wait but there are reasons for it. he build them himself and he is very meticulous, plus demand exceeds supply.

ATP-12/16 is a good second choice or placeholder, especially for the $$.

Be careful of vintage Ortofons. According to Schick, Frank Schroeder, and a few other phono specialists in my circle, these arms usually need service-- a lot of them are beat or full of sticky dried grease.

You can see my 301 here
https://jelabs.blogspot.com/2016/07/capital-audiofest-2016.html
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/Capital_Audiofest_2016/DC_DIY_Audio_Club/
https://www.stereophile.com/content/caf2016-do-go-back-rockville

Ak'er Allan aka analog addict built that nice walnut burl plinth for me.
 
Frank Schroder heartily recommends Schick arms and vice versa.

Depends on what you are trying to do...and how much you gots to spend! That linked arm is 4X the cost of a Schick.

Also, it would be rather difficult to use an SPU-G on the Schroder since it has an integral "headshell."
 
Schick and Schroder are our DJs in the Silbatone room at the Munich HighEnd show every year. They are good friends and good friends of mine.

I often joke with Frank that I am a dedicated Schick user. He insists that he can provide a good demo to support his case but I tell him not to waste his time because I am too cheap!

Yeah, I pay wholesale because I am an industry figure but it is still 4X the cost of a Schick and I am a fan of dirt simple arms in the broadcast arm tradition with really stiff carts. Frank has a few newer models that are less tweaky than his classic design but I am really happy with the Schick Stick.

I have heard all of these arms sounding really nice, needless to say.
 
Is that even a real tonearm? I can't find any references of an Ortofon AS-309 that's not a modern Jelco. This looks like an improvised hybrid with an Ortofon AS-212 pillar + lift, some long wand and a custom CW. I got an AS-212 for less than $200 off German eBay a few months ago. This thing's price seems disproportional. What do you guys know about this tonearm?
 
Is that even a real tonearm? I can't find any references of an Ortofon AS-309 that's not a modern Jelco. This looks like an improvised hybrid with an Ortofon AS-212 pillar + lift, some long wand and a custom CW. I got an AS-212 for less than $200 off German eBay a few months ago. This thing's price seems disproportional. What do you guys know about this tonearm?

It is a AS-212 Modified to a 12 inch arm tube . The AS 212 has the right stuff where it counts . The combo works real well . As for the price it is a bargain based on its performance . vta 003.JPG I took mine to the next level by making a adjustable VTA base .
 
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.
 
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.

You need the Slide base to make both the SPU types work . I use 1/2 mount type cartridges only .
 
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?
 
Back
Top Bottom